Internal Darkness
by Trevor the Enchanter
Summary: When Danny is released from prison, many things have changed in his life, but the biggest change is inside him. Can he fight his evil, or will the darkness consume him? And what is in store for his family and friends? Sequel to Murder in Amity
1. Prologue

All right, this is just the prologue to the sequel. This might explain a few things, such as Vlad's behavior, which some of you are confused about. Yes, he feels sympathy for Danny, but his motives are far from pure. Otherwise, he wouldn't be Vlad.

As for my OC's, there's no reason to hate them. Yes, they accused Danny, but they were simply doing their jobs. It's not like they had a vendetta against him. Now let's see what Vlad does to carry out his promise. Also, Danny's family and friends will play a part in this.

Vlad Plasmius flew through the air, looking for his target. Baker was going to pay dearly for her interference with his plans. Technus was quite useful when he wasn't too busy with his annoying monologues. He grinned as he thought of the choices of death.

Once he arrived at the house, he noticed a vehicle of the Guys in White. Little matter; the government agents were pushovers. He flew into the house, looking for Michele Baker. Charging up an ecto-blast, Vlad was about to blast through the walls when he spotted her from the corner of his eye.

He followed her stealthily, not wanting to be detected just yet. The woman was drinking her coffee, and was startled by Vlad's grip. "Well, well, so you convicted the Fenton boy." Vlad laughed, staring into her terrified eyes. "I believe I have a promise to keep." He fired eye beams, causing painful burns on her stomach.

Before he could continue, he was blasted into a wall. Her two bodyguards had apparently heard the commotion. "Freeze, ghost!" The first agent demanded. Vlad simply laughed and dodged their shots, returning with his own. They had obviously gotten more skilled, but while they could fight off Daniel, they didn't have a chance against him.

He blasted one aside with ecto-lightning, hosting him up by the neck. Vlad created 3 duplicates to deal with the other agent and Baker. As for the captive ghost hunter, Vlad ripped off his ghost armor piece by piece until he revealed his body. Not wasting any time, he killed the agent, and moved onto the others.

"I don't tolerate people who interfere in my plans." Vlad laughed. "And I had great plans for the boy you put in prison. Much as he undoubtedly wants to kill you, that is a pleasure I will reserve for myself." He fired several ecto-blasts, each designed to cause great pain. Baker screamed in pure agony, unable to even crawl away. Vlad grinned above her, and launched the final shot, killing her instantly.

His duplicates were recalled, having killed the other GIW agent. Skulker and Fright Knight entered the room, clearly being brought for backup. "So the deed is done?" asked Fright Knight. Vlad nodded. "I cannot blame you for feeling sympathy for the boy. I guarded a prison in life, and it was far from pleasant for them."

"I may feel sympathy, but I fully intend to turn this to my advantage." Vlad smirked. "I finally achieved what I have been after for a long time: regaining Maddie's trust. She now believes I am firmly on her side, and with a little push, blame Jack for the entire ordeal."

"Did you have anything to do with the jury's decision?" Skulker inquired. "It would be interesting to see how he fares in such a dangerous habitat."

"No, no, you don't understand." Vlad replied. "I want Daniel to trust me, and he is smarter than he appears. If I had influenced the jury, he would figure it out, and my chance at persuasion would be lost forever. Such a pity; I was so close to obtaining his mid-morph sample."

"This seems to work to our advantage." Fright Knight laughed. "I advise leaving him there until he decides to join you. The torture he will face will change his mind quickly."

"I agree on that, at least." Skulker added. "There is no amusement in hunting helpless prey and capturing the whelp will be my greatest achievement!"

"Again, if he suspected anything, I would lose my chance." Vlad laughed. "Even more hazardous, Maddie would learn of my abilities, and I will not lose the woman I have wanted for over 20 years. What I do intend to influence is the jury involving Mr. Baxter's father; he, too, must pay for interfering in my plans."

"Yes, I agree." Fright Knight nodded darkly. "Rape is a crime even I do not condone. What will be the sentence for him?"

"Oh, you'll just have to wait and find out." Vlad replied. "You're forgetting: Jasmine isn't the only one testifying against him."

"John Baxter, I sentence you to 12 years in a facility to be determined by the department of correction." the judge stated, looking at him with hatred. 5 women had testified against him, claiming rape. His defense attorney tried to get him off, but failed, thanks to Vlad overshadowing several of the jury members. Maddie and Jasmine cheered. Jack would have done so as well, except for the fact he was spending time in jail for attacking him the first day in court.

"At least there is some justice in the world." Vlad sighed, putting his arm around Maddie's shoulders. She moved closer to him, needing the comfort of her friend. He smirked at Baxter, knowing he was not going to last in prison. "I'll do everything in my power to get Daniel out of prison. After all, I kept Jasmine from even being tried."

"I suppose I should think you for that." Jasmine replied warily. _But you've got your own motive, I'm sure. Since Danny's not around to stop you, you're going to move in on Mom and Dad's marriage and take Mom on the rebound. You'd think he'd be a little more obvious by now. _She didn't feel any guilt for killing Dash, only that Danny was blamed for it. Her attorney insisted that she made it up to get her brother out of prison, so the accusation didn't even go to a grand jury. Instead of being happy, she was consumed with guilt for putting her brother away.

"I hope Danny can forgive me." Tucker sighed to himself, not looking at anyone's eyes. Ever since testifying against him, he wasn't able to face anyone. Sam and Valerie now hated him, but no more than he hated himself. "Please, Danny, get through this, for everyone's sakes."

"I'm sure he'll forgive you, Mr. Foley." Vlad told him with his silk voice. "Now me and Maddie, on the other hand, may not be so generous? How does it feel, condemning your best friend to a life in prison? If you know 1 tenth as much as I do, you'd be terrified for his very life!"

"Vlad, don't speak like that, please." Maddie begged. "I just can't handle it right now." Vlad softened and held Maddie as she cried quietly. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz all glared with hatred at him, but they weren't able to do anything. He smirked at them, knowing they could do nothing to stop him now.

After it was all over, they went back to Fenton Works. Nobody said much of anything since while the man was in prison, so was Danny. At that thought, Vlad's eyes immediately widened. Daniel would be in the same prison as his attacker. He could only imagine what that would mean for the poor boy.

"I shouldn't have done this, or at least confessed earlier." Jazz cried in her mother's arms. "Now Danny's in prison, and it's my fault!"

"You're forgetting, Jasmine: we have an appellate court." Vlad replied. "With a little incentive, I could bump Daniel's case to the top of the list."

"Why should we trust you?" Tucker demanded, whispering in his ear. "I still think you were the one behind this."

"And you testified against Daniel, believing he is guilty." Vlad replied. "Now the entire town considers him a murderer. I wouldn't be surprised if he goes after you." Tucker fell silent, Vlad smirking triumphantly

"Thanks for your help, Mr. Masters!" Valerie exclaimed. "Danny's lucky to have someone like you looking out for him."

"Yes, but is there anything we can do?" Maddie asked. "Short of breaking him out, he's stuck there. And prison is very unpleasant, to put it mildly."

There was a knock on the door. Nobody moved for several seconds until Sam got up to answer it. Detectives Robbins and Smith were outside the door, looking worried. "Great, you two again." she growled. "Haven't you done enough?"

"We need to talk to Mrs. Fenton." Smith replied. "May we come in?"

"What do you want now?" she asked angrily. "I told you I never wanted to see you two again."

"There's a dangerous ghost on the loose and we need your help to take him down." Robbins told her. "Last night, he killed Michele Baker and her two Guys in White bodyguards."

"This thing is dangerous, and we need a professional to take the ghost down." Smith added. "Since you're the best ghost hunter in Amity, we decided to come to you."

"She's a grieving mother and you still expect her to hunt ghosts?" Vlad demanded. "All of us are going through a very rough time, and we don't need you two idiots making it worse!"

"Call someone from out of town!" Valerie added. "Leave Mrs. Fenton alone!"

"There is a reward of 75,000 dollars for whoever captures it." Robbins added, hoping to convince her.

"No, you can handle it yourselves." Maddie exclaimed. "As a matter of fact, I hope this ghost kills you both! Get out!" Sighing, the two left, seeing that there was no way to convince her.

"It might even happen." Tucker stated, looking pointedly at Vlad.

Maddie collapsed in sobs again, Vlad struggling to hold her up. It was slightly surprising, since she rarely cried, and never like this, but losing a son would probably do that to someone. He was sympathetic, but knew how to turn this to his advantage.

Sam and Jazz were crying as well, but silently and sitting on the couch. A few tears went down Tucker's cheeks, but no one took any notice of him. "Guys, I think we should forgive Tucker." Jazz stated suddenly. "The only way we will get through this is together."

"It'll take a lot of time to do that." Sam replied. "I just can't forgive him yet." She sadly walked home, tears blinding her vision.

"How could they possibly believe Danny is a murderer?" Valerie asked herself for the thousandth time. It was still difficult to believe, even after over 5 months. "Please, Danny, stay strong."

"I have no doubt he will, Miss Grey." Vlad replied soothingly. It was difficult for him, since he didn't often show emotions, but it was apparently convincing. "The justice system is slow, but I have influence in the world, and I will be able to 'persuade' them to release Daniel." _But do I really want to? _Vlad thought to himself. _With him gone, I'll be able to take Maddie without him getting in the way. Still, I can't just leave him there. I am a villain, but I am no monster. That is a fate I would never wish upon my future son. _

His cell phone rang and he reluctantly answered it. It turned out to be Skulker, who had gotten back from an attempt to break Daniel out of prison. "Was it a success?" Vlad asked.

"Negative; there was a ghost shield around the prison." Skulker replied. "None of us were able to break it, so the whelp is stuck there until you come up with another plan."

"How is that possible?" Vlad asked, aware of the fact the others were watching him.

"Someone else may be behind this. It appears this situation is more complex than we originally thought. You'll have to do it through legal means."

"Understood. Good-bye."

"Who was that?" Valerie asked.

"My lawyer." Vlad replied smoothly. "He informed me that it may take up to 4 years for this case to reach a higher court. Never fear, I'll make sure Daniel does not rot in prison for that long."

Danny sat in his cell, not wanting to draw any attention to himself. He had already been beaten twice, and received injuries that made Dash's beatings look feeble by comparison. He should have figured wanting revenge on Dash would get him in trouble, but this wasn't what he had in mind.

_As long as it's me and not Jazz. _Danny thought. _I'll never let her go through this._

He tried to fall asleep, but there was simply too much on his mind. The inmates seemed more animal than human. Danny preyed that he would never become that way. The question was: how was he going to survive for 25 years? He could always go ghost and break out, but what if the GIW caught him? Better to use them for survival than escape, at least for the moment.

For the most part, he stayed out of everyone's way and didn't draw attention to himself. That at least he was good at. Even if he did get out alive, would he want to go back to a town that thought him a murderer? _Yes, I would. _He thought to himself. _I'd probably even join Vlad at this point if it meant getting out of here. That's kind of sad, but even Vlad isn't as bad as being in this place. _

The only amount of luck he had at the moment was not having a cellmate. He didn't know as much as prisons as Mom and Vlad, but he knew enough to know that was a blessing. For the past months, he had spent most of his yard time pumping iron, wanting to be strong enough to defend himself if it became necessary.

He spotted a piece of paper under his bed, and decided to read it. The words filled Danny with rage, enough to even overcome his depression.

_Dear Ghost Punk:_

_Imagine my surprise when I learned you were being tried for murder in the human. Since it does not seem like you will rot in my prison, I've taken great care to make your stay here as unpleasant as possible. There is a ghost shield around the complex, so your powers will be useless._

_This is what you get for breaking the rules, punk. I would have let you off easy, but you kept breaking the law, and now you will never get out of prison. I must admit, it was quite amusing to overshadow the judge and ensure he gave you an adult sentence. Enjoy your stay!_

_Walker_

Danny groaned to himself. He should have known Walker had something to do with this. What was he going to do now? Now that escape was out of the question, or even being busted out. (he saw Skulker trying to get in earlier that day) It appeared as if he would simply have to accept his new life for at least 25 years.

"Fenton, this is your new roommate." a guard stated, bringing someone in. "I trust there will be no problems." He locked the cell again and Danny looked in horror as he saw who his roommate was.

"Hello, Danny." Baxter laughed. "I think you need some more playtime."

That was certainly an ominous note. As for why he's there, this is the only prison in Amity, and they have nowhere else to put him. This may end up being longer than the first, but I'm not sure yet. Figured it's about time to put up the sequel.


	2. Clockwork's warning

Okay, now I can finally work on the second chapter. My plans are for this one to be around the same length as "Murder in Amity". As for Jazz being out of character, it's easy to be frightened of turning yourself in, even if it saves someone you love. For as I'm concerned, Jazz is kind, but she's still human. That, and none of them actually thought Danny would be convicted.

"They still won't allow visitors." Sam sighed, walking into the Fenton house. The others were waiting with anticipation. "Something about him causing a riot."

"How do you know this, Sam?" Maddie asked. "Were you even able to talk to him?"

"I pulled a few strings and saw him for a few minutes." Sam replied. "He… he didn't even look like Danny anymore. Those blue eyes of his look empty. Even worse, he has that rapist as his cellmate!"

All of them were alarmed at that. "I can't just let this happen." Vlad declared. "Can't they put him in protective custody? Perhaps it's cruel, but it's the only way he'll survive in a place like this."

"No, Danny's too stubborn." Sam told them. "Also, I'm beginning to think he doesn't care whether or not he lives or dies."

"My god, what have they done to him?" Jack asked, more to himself than to Sam. "He told me he had bullying problems, but I never thought they were as extreme. I just told him to hold in here and fight back; he's a Fenton."

"What? Why did you do that?" Maddie exclaimed, suddenly shouting at Jack. She simply needed an outlet to relieve her frustration. "You could have helped him and you just told him to grit his teeth and bear it? What kind of father are you?"

"Now, Maddie, I'm sure he did his best." Vlad intervened, though he was pleased by this chain of events. "It's not fair to blame him for all of this."

"No, V-man, she should blame me." Jack sighed, lowering his face so the others couldn't see him cry. He hadn't been this depressed for many years. "I am a horrible father. I didn't realize how bad it really was. I figured it was just the ordinary teasing most high school students get. If only I could turn back time and make sure this didn't happen."

Tempting as it was, Sam knew it wasn't an option. Clockwork had made it very clear he would not intervene. She didn't understand why, but she supposed he had his reasons. That didn't mean she had to like them, though.

"I'm currently getting him through the appellate court." Vlad reassured, talking to Maddie. "They ought to find some sense and release Daniel. If not, well, we'll deal with that when we cross that bridge."

"How long do you think it will take, Vladdie?" asked Jack. "Please get him out of here however possible."

"Normally, it can take up to 4 years, but if we're lucky, I'll manage it in another 18 months." Vlad replied. "I know it's not much, but I'm doing what I can. I see him as a son, you know."

"Yeah, we know that a little too well." Sam muttered to herself, though Vlad managed to hear her. "So where's Jazz? I haven't spoken to her in days."

"She's spent all her time locked in her room, not talking to any of us." Jack said sadly. "Jazzy still blames herself for us when she should blame me."

"That will pass, I'm sure." Vlad replied. "We already know what to do. Now it's simply a question of having patience."

There was a knock on the door. They were expecting Sam and Tucker, but it turned out to be Mr. Lancer. He looked older than any of them had ever seen them, which was saying a lot. "May I come in?" he asked.

"All right, Mr. Lancer." Maddie replied. 'Since I'm sure you didn't come here for a social call, what is it you want?"

"I want to apologize." Mr. Lancer sighed. "Part of all this is my fault. I should have spoken up earlier. I knew Dash was bullying Mr. Fenton, but I was unaware of the extent of it."

"You mean you were responsible for this?" Vlad asked, his words spitting poison. "If you had actually done something, none of this would have happened!"

"Calm down, calm down." Maddie intervened before this got ugly. It took a lot to anger Vlad, but once that happened, he was like a raging tornado. And since he saw her boy as a son…"You better explain yourself, Mr. Lancer."

"I suppose I owe you that much." Mr. Lancer replied, sitting down. "You see, I have a plan and it requires your help. I won't be able to get Danny out, but I can make sure something like this does not happen again."

"What do you plan to do?" Jack asked. "We'll help you, even if it's burning the school down!" Maddie and Vlad glared at him. "Or we could just sue the school; whatever works."

"That is exactly my intention." Mr. Lancer explained. "I want to take the information public. The parents deserve to know what kind of people the ones running the school are. I am far from innocent, but they would not let me intervene with Mr. Baxter, fearing it would darken their image."

_He must be serious about this. _Vlad thought. _He hasn't exclaimed a single book cover since he arrived. Not a bad plan, but it needs a little work. _"I highly doubt Daniel is the only one to suffer at his hands." Vlad pointed out. "I propose finding other people the school hierarchy has rejected and persuade them to testify on our behalf. No doubt they will be afraid, but it has to be done.

"Secondly, I intend to go to the Board of Education once all of this is made public. Pressure from angry parents, if nothing else, will force them to make some changes to Casper High. I admit, I have been watching the school and things have gone rapidly downhill. It used to be a school known for its security, but obviously, this is no longer the case.

"I didn't tell you any of this, but while the trial was going on, I talked to one of the students at the school. He told me that he endures a similar situation, and the school had refused to listen to him. He went to one of the adults, but the teacher in question merely told him that he was imagining things, and that Mr. Baxter was a model student. Essentially, the reason they do not do anything for him was that his parents stood up to them when trying to keep his little cousin retained.

"His parents are willing to assist us, and together, we'll be able to end the corruption. My lawyers are at your disposal, Mr. Lancer."

"That was pretty much was my plan was, except in more detail." Mr. Lancer replied. "We couldn't save Danny, but we can make sure no other student suffers the same fate."

"Right, they will never be able to stand up to Jack Fenton!" Jack exclaimed, regaining some of his former vigor.

"Yes, we'll beat them." Maddie added. "Those kinds of people should never even get near a school, much less run one."

After Vlad left, he transformed into Plasmius and flew off, intending to gather more information. He headed towards the prison, thinking he should simply break him out, but was stopped in his path. _A ghost shield? _He asked. _That means one of his enemies is involved, but which one? He's made as many as I have. Perhaps Walker, since they would be his style, but that could be a red herring. Hmm, I'll have to ask around in the ghost zone. They know better than to refuse my demands._

"Hello, Vlad." a voice said behind him. Vlad fired an ecto-blast at the offending voice, but it was neatly dodged. He glared at Clockwork, wondering what he wanted this time.

"Why are you here?" Vlad demanded. "Last time you visited me, you cost me 40 million dollars!" He didn't even know specifics, except that he was told to buy or steal 40 million in diamonds.

"It is a small price to pay in order to ensure the most evil ghost in existence does not break out of his prison." Clockwork replied in the form of an old man. "As for why I'm here, well, you can figure it out."

"So this concerns young Daniel?" Vlad wondered, correctly guessing the reason. "If you want to know about him, you can simply visit him, rather than take up my valuable time. I have work to do!"

"Yes, I know all about that." Clockwork stated, looking at him sternly. He turned into an adult before adding: "Be warned: your plans may have… unintended consequences."

"How would breaking Daniel out of a living hell have unintended consequences?!"

"I'm not talking about that, although I'm sure you have figured out who is responsible for this. You are correct, but it is not the whole truth. He has allies, powerful ones. Daniel's fate will be decided by you, Plasmius."

"What do you think I intend to you? Maddie will be my wife and Daniel my son. I'm not sure what to do with Jasmine just yet."

"If you want to be a father, try to console her. She is overcome with grief that is reaching dangerous levels. You admitted you want to be a father to them, so do so!" Clockwork turned into a child, but was no less intimidating.

"I feel sympathy for Daniel, I admit. He is a similar position to where I was as a child. This is not something I would wish upon Jack, much less his son. Clockwork, if you have any kind of intelligence, stay out of my way!"

"I know things you can't even dream of, Vlad. If you want, I'll leave, but remember this: what you want may not be what you think you want, and once you take the step, there is no turning back." He left, Vlad pondering what he had said.

Over the next year, things changed a great deal for everyone. Jack and Maddie's obsession had turned from hunting ghosts to taking down corrupt members of the school. Not only did they sue the school, but they sued the city of Amity Park. As a result, they received around 600,000 in settlement money.

Ghost hunting, though, was in their blood and they went right back to it. Once they learned Danny Phantom had disappeared, many ghosts swarmed Amity Park, ready to take advantage of his absence. Jack and Maddie were not to be underestimated, though, and with Vlad's help, defeated them.

Vlad, on the other hand, knew that he had to tread carefully. Eventually, even the idiots of the town would figure out that Danny Fenton and Danny Phantom were one and the same. To solve that problem, he hired a ghost named Amorpho(not sure if I spelled that right) to participate in a staged fight against Skulker and Technus. According to the plan, he put up an impressive fight, but was defeated. However, he weakened his enemies enough for the Fentons to take the duo down. This more or less solved the problem.

That is, except Jack and Maddie Fenton had gotten suspicious. They knew he was not as strong as the real Danny Phantom and he disappeared at about the same time as their son. None of it was confirmed, but they were suspicious and decided to confront him about it when Danny was released.

However, it wasn't going too well for them, either. Because of all the stress, Jack and Maddie were fighting more than before. Vlad mediated the conflict, but was secretly pleased that things were going as planned. Maybe this little obstacle would prove advantageous.

But Vlad was confused. Ever since he had moved to Amity Park, he was feeling more attached to his old friends. He cursed to himself, saying Jack was the reason he was miserable and alone. That dissuaded his doubts for the most part, but there was always something in the back of his mind. For that reason, Vlad had not yet made a move against his old friend. He justified it to himself, saying he would have to wait until his cover would not be blown, but still sent some of his minions after him.

Jazz, on the other hand, had for the most part, stopped talking to people. When she went to school, they somehow figured out that she was the one who killed Dash. The popular crowd hated her and decided to give her the same treatment they gave her brother. One night, they ambushed her in the middle of the night, Paulina in particular wearing a sadistic grin.

But who should save her but Vlad? They laughed when they heard "a rich old man" was defending her. However, they quickly changed their mind when they saw how skilled he was in combat. He quickly took two of them down, and the others decided to retreat. Vlad had no intentions of killing them, but instead decided to keep them in jail in order to strengthen Daniel's case.

Sam and Tucker, meanwhile, had started dating. Sam still had feelings for Danny, but now they were those of a sibling. No one expected them as a couple, them least of all, but love had a way of surprising them. They took Jazz under their wing during her senior year in order to protect her, but things had changed in the school ever since the trial. Several kids, mainly Dash's friends, had been expelled, once the school board and been replaced and their actions were discovered.

Jazz was currently going to college and of course, getting straight A's. She was majoring in law in honor of her brother. Jack and Maddie encouraged it, saying they would support anything she did. However, there was a part of her that felt unclean, no matter what she did to stop it.

Things didn't go so well for Valerie, though. Her dad was convinced Danny was guilty and refused to let her associate with the Fentons. She was confused at first, but her dad explained that he had looked at the evidence and there was no doubt in his mind that Danny was guilty.

Jazz was the only one who kept in contact with her. Jack and Maddie tried, but her dad threatened them with a restraining order, and they reluctantly desisted. She was quickly becoming depressed, and even hunting ghosts was not helping. _Mr. Masters, if you're going to do something, you better do it quick. _

It was almost two years to the day when Danny simply laid down on his cut. He was very different than he was before being locked up. He was almost 5 inches taller and very muscular; it was necessary in order to survive here. As for his old cellmate, he had him "taken care of" once he was able to fight.

Danny also noticed that despite the shield, his ghost powers were growing. He was stronger than before, and had mastered duplication, being able to split himself into 4. In addition, his energy blasts could be both green and pink, something he did not want to be made public. When he was finally strong enough to break out of here, Walker was going to pay.

As for his ghost self, it had changed as well. His hair was now flame, and his body was as muscular as his human half appeared. Danny was, of course, far stronger in ghost form, though. Recently, he had added a cape to his attire. His eyes were still green, but were darker than before.

Thankfully, Danny had learned how to survive. Since being locked up, he had killed 3 people, all members of a gang that was out to get him. He felt some remorse, but knew it was necessary. He learned how to use all his powers in his human form, even the ghostly wail. None of them were nearly as strong, but it sufficed for the moment.

He soon learned that the appellate court was deliberating his case. Danny hoped he would be released, but their verdict didn't matter. He would soon be strong enough to break through the invisible ghost shield. What he would do after that, he wasn't sure. One thing on his list, however, was to go after Vlad. Now that he was thinking more clearly, he thought his arch-enemy was behind all this.

"Fenton," said one of the guards. "You're free to go."

Okay, you ought to be happy that I've finally released Danny. I know I didn't describe the two years in a great deal of detail, but I wanted to move on with the main part of the story. It'll have the same amount of chapters as "Murder in Amity", although my plans could easily change.


	3. Unhappy reunions

Okay, the moment you've been waiting for: Danny's release. Needless to say, the old Danny is gone. He's much darker.

"So what exactly do you want me to do?" Skulker asked.

"Simple: test Daniel's progress." Vlad replied. "He's getting out today and it'll be interesting to see if his powers have grown. I don't doubt they will, but you are one of his main enemies, and can handle anything he can throw at you."

"Of course." Skulker laughed. "I admit, I have missed the hunt. The ghost shield kept me out and him inside."

"Well, I have to meet the family, so leave. I expect to see you shortly." Vlad flew off to Fentonworks and knocked on the door, being grabbed in a bear hug, courtesy of Jack. _Well, my plan hadn't worked as well as I anticipated. _He thought. _However, it appears as if tensions are high._

"So you ready to see Danny free of that place?" Jack exclaimed.

"Yes. All our hard work has finally been finished." Vlad replied smoothly. "I warn you: He won't be who he was, so you'll have to be patient with him. I assume we're taking the assault vehicle?" He had to repress a shudder. Jack's driving still scared him, even after all these years. How he got a license was beyond his comprehension.

The ride was more or less silent. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz were glaring at Vlad with hatred, while Valerie was biting her nails in nervousness. Maddie was driving, but hers was much more erratic than usual. The day was bringing a great deal of tension into their lives.

"I hope he'll be happy to see us." Maddie stated.

"I don't doubt he will, Maddie." Vlad replied. "I wish we had been able to visit the little badger, but Jack caused a ruckus."

"It's odd; I don't remember any of that." Jack sighed, scratching his head. "Why would I yell and scream at them?"

"That was you, wasn't it?" Jazz snarled. "Now that Danny's out of the picture, you're taking the opportunity to break them apart?"

"Very amusing, Jasmine." Vlad laughed, not wanting to reveal his plans with Valerie sitting next to him. "I can see where Daniel got his imagination. I hope you haven't forgotten who actually committed murder and got a certain brother of hers locked up?" He bent towards Jasmine and whispered in her ear. "Not to mention feels like a whore. Next time you give yourself to someone in hopes of achieving someone, you need a backup plan in case it fails."

"You won't succeed in whatever you're planning." Jazz promised.

"Leave her alone, Vlad." Tucker demanded.

"Mr. Masters, thanks again for getting him released." Valerie stated. "I always knew he was innocent. And thanks to you, I didn't have to spend a day in jail."

"No problem at all, my dear." Vlad smirked. "And call me Vlad. I think we know each other well enough to do away with formalities."

"So what do we do about him?" Sam whispered to Jazz.

"All we can do right now is sit and wait." Jazz whispered back. "I brought the Fenton Peeler just in case he decides to try something."

"Maybe we should reveal his secret to the world." Tucker suggested.

"And he'll do the same to Danny." Sam warned. "We can't take that risk."

Finally, they arrived at the prison, ghost shield in place. "I'm glad to see they finally put one up so ghosts can't break these criminals out!" Jack exclaimed. "Now where's Danny? I hope we didn't come early."

"He'll be here soon enough, Jack." Maddie reassured. "They said 3:00, didn't they?"

"It'd be a shame if anything more happened to poor Daniel." Vlad added, smirking at Jazz and Co. Not that he was going to delay it. Bluffs were an essential part of his plan. "If they try and delay it, I can always sue them. It's likely I won't win, but it'll give them a headache."

"Danny's lucky to know you, Mr. Masters." Valerie smiled. "I just wish I was able to see him." For some reason, though, they didn't allow visitors. They told him that he behaved badly, but she knew better. Danny was too sweet for that.

"I can't stand this waiting." Sam complained. "Where is he?"

"Maybe you should look in front of you, Samantha." Vlad suggested, pointing his way. Danny was standing outside the prison, a disinterested look on his face. They ran over and hugged him tightly, but unlike before, he didn't even flinch. He had grown a few inches since they last saw him, and a lot of muscle.

"Well, if it isn't my dear family." He stated in a monotone voice. "Let's not forget Sam and Tucker. It's been a long time. Two years, to be precise. To what do I owe this touching little reunion?"

"God, it's great to see you!" Sam declared, tears in her eyes. She hugged him again, laying her head on his shoulder.

"Damn, dude, you've gotten buff!" Tucker complimented.

"It was necessary to survive." he replied. "None of you know what it's like to be locked up with criminals. If only this didn't happen, but at least I'm out. I'm curious: why didn't you bother visiting me? I thought I was your best friend."

"They didn't allow us to." Valerie replied. "They said you lost your visitation rights. I still think they were lying and simply trying to make life difficult for you."

"And you would be correct." Danny stated, chuckling darkly. "Jazz, how wonderful to see you again." Now Danny's voice was beginning to go from a monotone to one laced with anger. "And the cheesehead came too; how could I have forgotten about you? I suppose I should thank you for getting me out of that hellhole."

"He worked day and night to help you." Maddie pointed out. "The least you can do is thank him."

"Not now, Maddie; I have other things on my mind."

"Don't worry about it, Maddie." Vlad sighed. "He's obviously just getting used to us again. He'll thank me, given time."

_Keep dreaming, Plasmius. _Danny growled to himself. His eyes turned to Jazz. "You know, this could very easily have been you. That is, except you were too cowardly to admit that you had done it defending me. People are idiotic saps; I don't doubt they would have bought it."

"Danny, I said I was sorry!" Jazz exclaimed, shrinking from his glare. "I know I was a coward, but I never thought this would happen."

"That's right; you didn't think." Danny snapped, his emotions betraying. "You can never understand what I went through in that place; what you should have endured." His hand began to glow green, and he contemplated blasting her then and there.

"Stop fighting, guys." Maddie intervened, putting her body between the two. "Danny, she isn't to blame for all this; they just made a major mistake. Besides, we sued the city and were awarded 2.7 million dollars."

"It's the least they could do after your incarceration, Daniel." Vlad added. "You should be thankful for all the effort we put into getting you out."

"I'd be more thankful if I didn't have to rot in that fucking place for two years." Danny snarled. "Just leave me alone. You don't give a damn; you never did." He walked off, leaving them in the dust.

"So much for a happy reunion." Sam sighed.

"I think he's going to need help." Jazz sighed. "Maybe he's suffering from Post-Traumatic-Stress Disorder."

"Well, I doubt he's going to be too receptive to that." Tucker worried. "We better keep a close eye on him. For the moment, he's dangerous."

"What happened to him in there?" Jack sighed. "I swear, if I ever get my hands on those detectives, I'll tear them apart electron by electron."

"Jack, calm down." Maddie stated. "The important thing is that Danny's out and we can help him now."

"But be careful." Vlad warned. "This experience has changed him, probably for the worse. He is definitely more violent than before, and holds hatred for Jazz."

"I suppose I can understand that." Jazz sighed. "It was my fault Danny was locked in there. I just hope he can forgive me one of these days."

"Just give him time, Jazz." Tucker sighed. "Danny's going to have a hard time readjusting to school. You'll need to help him with that."

"We'll all be behind him." Valerie added. "I'd almost hate to be Paulina right now. He's not going to be happy to see her."

"I just hope he doesn't go into a murderous rage." Sam worried. "Considering the state he's in, it might be possible." _And with his powers, simple. I have the feeling he won't be restraining himself anymore. _

"How would he do that?" Maddie asked. "It's not like he has ghost powers or anything." Jazz, Tucker, and Sam shared a look at that. "Just give Danny time to readjust to us. Prison had to be unpleasant, particularly for my baby boy."

Vlad sighed and agreed. He didn't want to give any details, particularly since he didn't know too many himself. The few he did receive from inside contacts were enough for him to desist his investigation. He felt even more sympathy for Daniel, and considered stopping his schemes. However, he wanted Maddie even more, and was taking the opportunity. Daniel was dangerous, much more so than before. Vlad wondered if Daniel would suffer the same fate.

"Maddie, I have a very important question to ask you." Vlad told her once he led her away from the others. "Has Jack been there for you? Has he been by your side each time you get depressed because of what happened to you?"

"Yes, he's been with me. He feels every bit as terrible as I do."

"That's a relief. I was worried he would forget and ignore you. He's forgotten your anniversary almost every year, right? And he gets so obsessed with ghost hunting that he forgets everything else?"

"He's not that bad now. Most of the time, we just sit silently." She was lying; Jack was just as obsessed, but was also trying to get his son out. It felt very little room for husband-wife time, and she began to feel lonely. Maddie wasn't about to tell him, though."

"Good." Just remember: I'm here for you too." Vlad walked off, suppressing a smirk. He always knew when Maddie was lying. It appeared as if the fat idiot was neglecting his wife, which meant his plan was working.

He drove off, wishing all of them good luck. Sam, Tucker, and Jazz glared at him, to whom he smirked at in response. Once he was a good distance away, Skulker arrived. "So are you ready, Skulker?" Vlad asked. "Please tell me you didn't forget the recording devices… again."

"They are installed in my armor which are immediately sent to the computers in your castle." Skulker replied. "I admit, I have almost missed the ghost child. He is a worthy opponent."

"Remember what I told you: you are to cause no serious injury; just find out how far Daniel has progressed."

"Understood." Skulker flew off towards his enemy.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Danny flew higher in the air, wanting to escape the memories. He felt hatred for Jazz, but couldn't bring himself to do anything else. Like it or not, she was his sister, and had looked out for him in the past. It was Vlad he wanted to rip apart. Even if he wasn't behind this, he took advantage of the opportunity to weasel in on his family.

During the trial, he was foolish enough to believe Vlad was on his side, if only temporarily. Now that he knew otherwise, he was going to pay. However, he knew better than to underestimate Vlad. Danny wasn't entirely sure if he could defeat him, even with his augmented powers. That was fine, though. He had time.

He heard a jet behind him. Expecting it to be Valerie, he fired a weak ecto-blast, but it turned out to be Skulker, who easily dodged it. Annoyed, he crossed his arms and glared at him. "Trying to turn me into your trophy again?" Danny asked. "It didn't work the last 57 times; why would it this time?"

"This time, I have a secret weapon!" Skulker laughed, firing a barrage of missiles. Rolling his eyes, Danny put up a shield and they impacted harmlessly. Skulker looked concerned, but was pleased with the challenge.

"Yeah, where have I heard that before?" Danny replied sarcastically. "If you have any brains at all, I suggest you leave before you get hurt." He blocked another shot. "Why am I not surprised? Very well, then." He dived towards Skulker, sending a powerful stream of energy. He was blasted back, struggling to regain control.

Laughing, Danny punched him several times in the chest, his armor cracking badly. Now Skulker was surprised and even frightened. He had never been that strong before, or as ruthless as the child was now. Skulker fired restraints, but Danny ripped through them in less then a second. Bored, he duplicated into three, and surrounded his fellow combatant.

All three launched deadly energy at him, which he struggled to dodge. Several hit Skulker's suit, ripping through it. One leg was completely blown up, and he decided that was enough. Vlad had the information he needed. Now it was time to get out of here.

But one of the Dannys held him in place. Another conjured a sword, while the third (he couldn't tell which was the original, as his sensors were destroyed) charged energy in his plans. "I have nothing more to say to you, Skulker." That Danny exclaimed. "You have been a pain in my ass for too long."

"I gave you the chance to flee." The second laughed. "Now I'm giving you the chance to die." He swung his sword and cut the head off the rest of the suit. The third Danny dropped the dead weight and they merged back into one. Danny was now holding the struggling hunter in his left hand.

"Let me go!" Skulker demanded, his voice now a scared squeak. "I'll never hunt you again! You have proven yourself superior! Please, let me go!"

"Why would I do that?" Danny demanded. "So you can come up with more inventions in a desperate attempt to redeem your ego? Prison has taught me many things, this being one of them." His left hand started glowing and Skulker screamed as his essence was torn apart. In a matter of seconds, he was nothing more than a tiny blob of ectoplasm.

Danny found it sort of strange that he didn't feel a shred of remorse destroying Skulker. Hopefully, this would send the message to his other enemies to leave him alone. He was no longer the weak boy that would let them walk all over him. Danny was strong now, and no longer cared about being the "hero". He grinned, and flew back down.

He was unaware that someone else was watching.

Yeah, it took me long enough. The next chapter centers around Danny's return to school and how everyone responds to him. Also, there's another part of Vlad's plan.


	4. Complications

Okay, now the moment you've all been waiting for: when Danny goes back to school. As for whether or not he turns evil, you'll just have to wait and find out. At the end of the chapter, I'll respond to a few criticisms I received about "Murder in Amity". Speaking of the story, it'll likely be the only one of its kind I'm going to write. Mysteries are not my area of expertise.

Even though Vlad had watched the video a dozen times, he still had problems believing it. He did not know Daniel would be capable of actually destroying a ghost. Daniel had changed a great deal in the past two years, more so than he thought.

"Are you sure it's wise to be continuing your plan?" Fright Knight asked him. "The ghost boy has grown powerful. Soon his powers will equal yours."

"Of course; it's what I've been waiting for." Vlad laughed. "The seeds of my plan have been placed, but only with Daniel's freedom can they sprout?"

"I don't understand. I thought his absence would be the time where you would win over your object of affection."

"Of course you don't understand, but it'll become clear soon enough."

He got up off his easy chair and paced the mansion. Vlad knew he could send his animal minions, but they were likely too weak to pose much of a threat to Daniel. Now that Skulker's demise had gotten around the ghost zone, few others would want to encounter him. It seemed that he would have to do it himself.

_I hate to travel back to Amity just two days after I came home, but it doesn't look like I have much of a choice. _Vlad thought. _At least my arrival will be discreet._

Technus flew into the room, looking afraid. After several seconds, he finally got the courage to speak. "Plasmius, I was unable to find any associates willing to help you. They are too terrified of the ghost child! I, Technus, express my sincerest apologies and beg you not to…"

"Shut up!" He snarled, transforming into Plasmius. "You useless idiot; why do I pay you when you can't do your job? Give me one good reason why I shouldn't tear you apart!"

"I would advise against that, Vlad." Fright Knight warned. "Ghosts are reluctant to work with you as it is. An act such as that will send them all away."

Vlad transformed back in an effort to control his temper. This was unfortunate for his plan, but thankfully not fatal. "I don't tolerate failure, you know." Vlad snarled, enjoying the look of fear in Technus' eyes. "Fortunately for you, I was prepared for this. Did you at least manage to plant the cameras inside Casper high?"

"Of course, Vlad." Technus laughed. "No computer can repel me, Technus, wizard of technology!"

"Couldn't you have sent me?" Fright Knight asked. "The ghost child may discover your cameras and destroy them. He won't be able to beat me and I can report back easily."

"I don't want him to get more suspicious." Vlad explained. "True, Daniel is quite capable of spotting my bugs, but only if he is looking for them, so the advantage is mine. Once I learn the full extent of his prowess, I'll be able to implement the final stage of my plan."

Fright Knight resisted the urge to roll his eyes. Vlad would never get his hands on Maddie. Even if he managed to kill his old friend, she would not go running to him. Not with the ghost boy watching their every move, at least. However, he was ignorant of his final plan, so he could be mistaken. He only hoped they wouldn't regret this. Fright Knight could barely admit it to himself, but he was afraid of Daniel. The only reason Vlad was not was because of his arrogance, which he considered foolish. Underestimating your opponent was a deadly mistake.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Danny felt a sense of dread as he entered the school. While he could easily fend off any of their clumsy blows, the stigma hurt far worse. Not to mention he had no desire to get in trouble with the law once again. Paulina would surely try to provoke him into doing something rash, and send him back to that hellhole.

"Danny, just ignore them." Valerie encouraged as they stared at him with hate and fear. "They're just a bunch of idiots."

"Tell me something I don't know." Danny snapped, obviously on edge. "I told my parents I wanted to go to another school, but no. They sent me back to these monsters." _Well, if it becomes necessary, I can simply take care of them. _

"It makes me wonder why they hate you." Tucker sighed. "If they believe you guilty, you should be considered a hero. Dash was nothing but a bully."

"Get out of here, you son of bitches!" Sam exclaimed at the onlookers. "He's a person, not a circus freak!"

"He belongs in hell, or at least prison!" shouted one of them. Danny was on him in an instant, pinning him against the wall, hate coursing through his veins. It was a miracle his eyes were not burning red.

"Hell? I have seen hell for myself, idiot." Danny whispered, but he couldn't have been more frightening if he was shouting at the top of his lungs. "You don't have the slightest idea of what you speak of! I highly suggest you shut your pathetic mouth, or I might be tempted to… go back to old habits, shall we say." He ran off, shaking with fear.

"That wasn't very smart, Danny." Sam chastised. "If the teachers hear of this, and they will, you'll be expelled."

"I'm sorry; was that supposed to be a deterrent?" Danny replied cheekily. "I couldn't care less what they do to me. People like me have been mistreated for far too long at this school, and it ends now. All I need to do is find others who are willing to help."

"Well, I have to agree with you." Tucker smiled. "However, it's not as bad as it once was. Your parents and Lancer got some of the bullying to cease."

"That's not enough, not nearly enough." Danny declared, talking more to himself than his companions. "People suffer here simple because they are different, because they do not conform to what is considered 'popular'. Some will be scarred permanently, simply because those pathetic bureaucrats won't get off their asses. They only acted to protect their image, I'm sure. Nobody actually cares what happens to the rejected ones. If I don't protect them, who will?"

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves." Valerie told him. "Things like these take time, and the school board knows better than to do anything to stop it in light of what's happened."

"Yes, so they say now." Danny laughed. "Now that the hype's worn off, they'll simply go back to their indifference now that their image is not in danger. That is, unless I prevent it."

"Mr. Fenton, please come with me." Mr. Lancer said behind them. Danny curled his hands into fists, but ceased once he identified who it was. He followed his teacher, smirking at the nervous students. They walked inside a classroom and Mr. Lancer shut the door.

"What is it?" Danny demanded. "Come to tell me I've done something else wrong?" His words held a great deal of bitterness. He was tempted to take revenge on Lancer, but what more could he do?

"No; I only wanted to apologize." Mr. Lancer sighed. "None of this should have happened. Dash and others like him should have been stopped long before this. For the record, I always believed you were innocent and I still do."

"Thanks for the ringing endorsement." Danny replied dryly, though inside he was slightly grateful. Perhaps not everyone was against him. "You were simply too cowardly to do something earlier. I hope that now you'll do something instead of simply stand by. You want to protect your students, so do so instead of fussing over what the school board will say."

"I suppose you're right, Fenton. Someone has to do something. Mr. Masters talks big, but he has done very little. I don't know why, but I have a bad feeling about the man."

"That makes two of us. See you around." He walked off, knowing he would attack Lancer if he lingered. These days, it was all he could do from lashing out at everyone and everything. School went by slowly, as it always had. Many students stared at him, but none wanted to cross his path.

"When did you come back, murderer?" snarled a voice. Danny turned around and saw Paulina, surrounded by her "friends".

"I came back this morning; can't you read?" Danny replied with a smirk. He would enjoy ripping the bitch apart, just like she did to him. All that was necessary was the opportunity. He had no intention of going back to prison… not that they could put him there now.

"Leave him alone, Paulina!" Sam exclaimed furiously. "Hasn't he been through enough?"

"No, let her speak." Danny laughed. "It won't matter in the end. She's nothing but a pathetic slut who uses her sex appeal to get her way, but I'm not falling for that little ruse, Paulina. Not anymore."

"Well, Fenton, who cares what you think?" Paulina smirked. "After all, everyone here knows what you went through in prison; my father made sure of that. So how did it feel to give 'favors' in return for protection? Was that necessary or have you always swung that way?"

"I swear to God, Paulina, I hope someone kills you!" Tucker yelled. "You don't have any sense of decency. Danny is innocent, as well you know!"

Danny was through playing games. Rage burning through his body, Danny grabbed Paulina by the neck and slammed her against the lockers. "You listen to me very carefully, whore." he hissed in her ear. "Don't ever speak to me with your ignorance. Otherwise, you might just learn from personal experience what I suffered. Your precious ghost boy isn't around to protect you." Sam, Tucker, and Valerie were too shocked to say anything. Is this what has happened to their friend?

A couple of footballs dragged him away from Paulina and looked ready to pound him. However, Danny wasn't afraid in the least. He had faced things that would make these macho idiots piss themselves. If they thought they were intimidating, they were sadly mistaken. "I'm curious: why are you defending her?" Danny wondered. "Is it because you believe what she says, or are you just hoping to sleep with her?" their faces told it all. "In that case, I hope you have a lot of cash. She's quite an expensive little toy."

"How dare you, Fenton?" Paulina demanded. She was nearly as furious as him now. Truth be told, she held some regret over what she did to Danny in the past, but she had a reputation to maintain. "If you ever imply I'm a whore again, I'll…"

"You'll do what?" Danny cut her off. "What can you possibly do to me that hasn't already been done? You might want to leave, or I might just slip and reveal your little secret." Furious, she stomped off, but if you looked closely, you could see tears falling down her cheeks. Danny noticed their little argument had attracted quite a crowd. "Does anyone else have a problem with me?" They backed off, not wanting to provoke the furious Danny. He laughed darkly, reminding Sam of something familiar, but she couldn't quite place what it was.

"Wow, even I'm not that cruel to her." Sam said in shock. "I can't believe I'm saying it, but you were a little too harsh on her."

"Maybe so, but she deserved it." Tucker argued. "What she did to you is despicable."

"Yes, thanks for the astute observation." Danny replied with a snarl. "I don't feel like going to my other classes. If my teachers ask, tell them whatever you want."

"Danny, you don't have to be so rude to us." Valerie protested. "We're on your side. This will pass; just give it time."

"That's what you think, but you've done more than you know, Valerie." Danny laughed. "Just think about a few things, and you'll figure it out." That being said, he walked off, not wanting to be around them anymore. He still wanted revenge on Jazz, but couldn't quite bring himself to pull it off. After he was clear of Casper high, he transformed into Phantom and flew off.

He had to admit, even now, flying relaxed him. Danny deeply missed it during his time in prison. He briefly considered letting loose ecto-blasts on Amity Park, but shook himself out of it. His grudge extended only to Vlad now, and while he might not be responsible for his sentence, he likely did nothing to stop it.

_He achieved what he wanted to: getting into Mom's good graces again. _Danny thought. _Now she doesn't have any suspicions, though at least Tucker and Sam know better than to trust him. I don't know what to do about Valerie, though. As for Jazz, I can't bring myself to hurt her. I suppose she kept from confessing out of fear… not that I can blame her for not wanting to avoid prison. _

"Having fun, Daniel?" Vlad laughed, floating behind him. Danny spun around, glowing energy in his hands, but decided against attacking him immediately. Vlad was far more powerful than Skulker, after all.

"What do you want, Vlad?" Danny growled in response. "Let me guess: you've come up with another pathetic plan to marry my mom. Give it up, idiot! She likes my dad, not a creep like you."

"On the contrary, Daniel, I've reformed our old friendship. As for my plan, it'll become clear soon enough."

"Was part of that plan sending me to that hellhole?" His calm demeanor forgotten, he sped towards Vlad and grabbed him by the collar, his fangs reflecting in the sun.

"No, Daniel; I would barely wish that on your father, much less you." Despite himself, Vlad was somewhat frightened. Daniel had gotten much stronger, not to mention angrier, during his absence. "As a matter of fact, that trial got in the way of my plans. I have a feeling as to who was behind this, but I have no concrete evidence."

"All you had to do was ask. Walker wrote a note and sent to my cell, bragging that he was responsible. Don't worry; I'll rip him to pieces, right after you."

"I'd like to see you try, Daniel." Vlad managed to get out of his grip, Before he could any farther, though, Danny punched him across the jaw. Before Vlad to recover, he was hit by a powerful ecto-blast. Thankfully, he managed to dodge the subsequent attacks. "This is your way for thanking me with my help?"

"What help, Plasmius? I'm not the idiot you used to face. You think I didn't study as well? That I didn't read about my own trial? You threatened the assistant D.A., didn't you? You wanted me to look guilty! And you expect me to believe you were looking out for me?!" Losing his temper, he unleashed a series of devastating blasts.

Vlad flew through them and kicked Danny in the stomach, and shocked his body. He recovered quicker than expected, though, and aimed a punch for his gut. He grabbed Danny's arm, but Danny flipped and slammed his feet into his head.

"You've improved, I see."

"That's only the beginning, Vlad. You wanted me out of the way, didn't you? You got what you wanted: your arch-enemy in a place where he can't do anything, returning to my mom's good graces, and neither of my parents were the wiser. You know, according to Valerie, the prosecutor approached her and said he could wipe her record clean if she testified against me. I looked it up, and they do not have the power to do so! You were aware of the corruption and did nothing!"

"Nothing? Then why did I hire my lawyer to help you? True, he may not be the most professional, but I spared no expense in helping you. Apparently you haven't studied as thoroughly as you believed. As for threatening your prosecutor, perhaps that was not the wisest maneuver."

"Don't try to bullshit me, Vlad. You knew perfectly well what would result from it!"

Vlad knew he had been caught. Daniel had become very clever, and a substantial threat. Once his previous plan was ruined, he was quick to think of a new one. He was the one who bribed reporters to get the Baxter story so quickly. However, even the best plans could go wrong, as this debacle proved. He had not actually intended to have Daniel convicted.

"Well, you know how emotions can influence people. I doubt you'll ever forget it. Rest assured, however: I had no wish to see you convicted."

"Liar!" Danny's temper had reached the breaking point, and he unleashed his ghostly wail. Vlad was pushed back, helpless against the powerful onslaught. After several seconds, he relented, not wanting to use all his energy. Vlad duplicated into 4 and they surrounded him. Danny decided against doing the same. No need to show him the extent of his abilities just yet.

They immediately started pummeling him, but Vlad was surprised at how efficiently Danny fought back. He was evidently used to fighting multiple opponents. He knew Daniel could now duplicate, so why wasn't he? That is, unless his sonic attack weakened him too badly.

"Sucker." Danny laughed, and immediately destroyed two of the duplicates. He then split into three, while Vlad made more copies. The battle continued, even more intense than before. Finally, Vlad decided to pull out.

"I see you have improved, Daniel. I'll see you later, but I have a date with Maddie." He disappeared in a flash of light, Danny angrily firing ecto-blasts in his direction. Once the rush of the battle wore off, he was in a lot of pain. At least Vlad was almost as bad off as he was.

He found a discreet place to transform back and walked back on the street. Danny knew he couldn't beat Vlad just yet, but Walker was a more realistic target. If he could beat him when he was weak, what could the warden possibly do to him now?

He then noticed two of his least favorite people walking towards them. Fighting to keep his eyes blue, he faced them.

"Daniel Fenton, we'd like to ask you a few questions." Robbins declared.

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Meanwhile, Vlad was watching from above. It was nearly time to begin the final phase of his plan.

Well, that certainly sounds ominous, doesn't it? As for the criticisms of Murder in Amity:

1: Yes, I am well aware Jack seemed OOC when he flipped off the judge when Danny was sentenced. However, he is not always the most mature of people, and lost his temper when he heard his son would be going to prison. Not a great explanation, I admit, but consider the stress they were under.

2: As for weak evidence, you had fingerprints all over the crime scene. A witness put Danny at the scene, he had an unsubstantiated alibi, motive with a capital M, and the murder weapon was hidden. Maybe if it was out in the open, cleaned, it wouldn't raise so much suspicion. However, there was an effort made to hide it, and no prints whatsoever were found on it, making it even more suspicious. There was evidence the bathtub had been cleaned, leading to more suspicion. A picture in Danny's room showed Phantom strangling Dash, and their enmity was well known. It may not have led to a conviction, at least not without emotions added to the mix, but many things point towards him. That's not coming the blood found near the bathtub.

3: Being bullied at school is not a free pass to commit murder. In most cases where a student kills a classmate for that very reason, they are often sentenced as an adult, and sometimes to life.

4: As for attorneys, they will even point to family and friends if they feel it is in the client's best interest. They have to be able to prove they could have committed the crime, or at least give enough speculation so it seems possible.

5: As for the prosecutor talking to Valerie, well, you'll see what happens by the end of this story. Corruption and incompetence will be found.

However, I admit that I did make mistakes, and for the foreseeable future, I will not be writing any more mysteries. I'll also be making some revisions to Murder in Amity when I get the chance.


	5. sprouting seeds

Finally, another part of Vlad's plan is unleashed. As to what his previous one was, it was to get Danny acquitted, but have most people believe he was guilty, so there would only be one place to run: to him. Yes, Vlad is a nut. What else would you expect from him? Note: there is more character death in this chapter.

As for Vlad talking about bribery fairly openly in the last story, he is exceedingly arrogant. That, and he was simply talking to Maddie and the others. It may end up biting him in the ass, but you'll have to wait and see.

Danny stared at the detectives, murder in his eyes. He desperately wanted to go ghost and rip them apart, but there were too many people around to get away with it. Barely restraining his temper, he asked: "What do you want? I'm busy."

Smith could not understand why he had been assigned to this case. He argued with his captain, but he was adamant. To him, Danny was guilty even without any evidence. How an idiot like him got promoted was beyond him. He looked at Danny, seeing the biggest blunder of his career.

"Mr. Fenton, where were you at around 11:30 this morning?" Smith asked, trying to keep the emotion out of his voice.

"Wherever I felt like going, dickhead." Danny snarled. "Why is it any of your business?"

"How about treating us with some respect?" Robbins snapped. Unlike his partner, he was not completely convinced of Danny's innocence. "Answer our question: where were you around 11:30?"

"I was wandering the streets." Danny replied coolly. "I didn't much feel like being around the accusing stares of my idiot schoolmates. Now how about answering my question?"

"Paulina Martinez was found murdered about 100 feet from the school." Smith sighed, hating where this line of questioning was going. "Her friends told us she was on her way to the Nasty Burger for lunch."

"And you automatically suspect me? What a shock." Danny replied sarcastically. "I may have hated her, but I didn't kill her. Why don't you check, I don't know, the whole unpopular crowd at Casper High?" _I'm surprised they haven't shut that place down. They seem to be even more screwed up than I thought. _

"Several students have told us you threatened to kill her." Robbins cut in, leaning close to Danny. When he was still 15, he might have felt intimidated, but now all he felt was anger. "Can anyone vouch for your whereabouts?"

"I'm sure people saw me, but no one I knew." Danny laughed. Robbins and Smith could see he wasn't particularly bothered by her death. They only hoped he wasn't the one responsible. "Now just leave me alone before I get really pissed."

Just then, the Fenton RV drove up, Maddie getting out of it. Danny expected his father as well, but figured he was likely working on some stupid invention. "Danny, where have you been?" Maddie asked. "We got a phone call from Mr. Lancer saying you left, and… what are you bastards doing here?"

"We're just asking a few questions." Robbins defended. "Do you know where your son was?"

"Just leave, now!" Maddie demanded. "Come on, Danny, we're getting out of here." The last they heard was her lecturing him about not skipping school, despite what he had been through. Danny walked up to Robbins, and smirked. Just as he was about to open his mouth, he spat in his face. He glared death at the boy, but he left before he could do anything.

"Well, at least that wasn't me." Smith remarked.

"And Mr. Fenton just gave us some DNA." Robbins replied, putting the saliva in a plastic bag. "Did you notice the bruises he had on his body?"

"Well, yes, but I didn't feel like saying anything." Smith stated. "I really do not want to be on this case. I don't like being reminded of my failure."

"Look, we have to do our job. Now let's see what we have: Mr. Fenton has various bruises on his body, unable to account for his whereabouts, and it was obvious that Miss Martinez struggled. It looks like it points to him, though I'd like to get some solid evidence."

"Well, we haven't been able to find any witnesses just yet. We're trying to track them down. I really hope it isn't him, but we have to investigate this. Does anyone you interviewed have an alibi?"

"Yes, and either their friends or their teachers were able to vouch for him. So far, we've managed to figure out that there were eleven people with unsubstantiated alibis so far. We've got other officers interviewing them, right?"

"Yeah, we've taken care of that. Hopefully, by the time we get back, the test will be finished. Let's get this DNA tested as soon as we can, put a rush on it. Let's see if it matches anything."

"The test isn't done. We don't know if that is the case."

"I know the smell of it."

"I think at least part of you wants Danny Fenton to be guilty."

"Unlike you, I'm not convinced of his innocence. His sister is very close to him, and may have confessed in a last ditch effort to save him."

"There's no evidence of that, and you sound like one of those annoying attorneys."

"Let's just get this tested, to either eliminate to confirm his guilt. You're right; I don't like being put on this case either."

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

"Danny, you can't skip school whenever you feel like it!" Jack exclaimed. "I know it's not the best place, but you have your friends to support you!"

"You know what it's like, father, to be hated by everyone?" he snarled, trying not to jump him. His temper had been on the breaking point for years. "Knowing that you're innocent, but no one else is ever going to think so? No one is going to change their minds, the idiots. I cannot stand to face that kind of hell, day after day. After how I was treated, why did you send me back to that hellhole?"

"Mr. Lancer promised us he would look out for you." Maddie protested. "He's been a believer in your innocence all along. Sam and Tucker were very worried about you. Valerie was almost in tears."

"Right, I'm sure they were." Danny laughed darkly. "Just leave me the hell alone, mom and dad."

"Danny, we're trying to help you." Maddie replied sadly. "Why won't you let us? We can send you to a professional, even move out of here if we have to."

"You're our son, Danny!" Jack added. "We always look out for you."

"Yes, I've seen where that got me." Danny declared. "As far as I'm concerned, you two are not my parents. You lost that right two years ago." He walked into his room and slammed the door, not being able to stand them any longer.

"God, what happened to our kind son?" Maddie asked, a single tear rolling down her cheek.

"I can't believe they do this to him." Jack sighed, feeling ready to cry himself. "Prison is a terrible place, even more so for a child." Danny wasn't the first family member he had seen there, but it was every bit as painful, maybe a little more so. He could barely imagine what happened to him. Jack just hoped Danny would recover, and be more like the one they remembered. He cursed Jack Baxter and his family for being the ones to start this.

Little did they know that Vlad Plasmius was floating above him, his face expressionless. He couldn't care less about Jack, but was deeply concerned about Maddie. No matter; she would be happier once all this was over. Vlad almost regretted his next step, as it would hurt her terribly, but it had to be done. He flew out, and transformed back to Masters in an alley.

"It seems that new device Technus designed has successfully shielded me from their ghost detectors." Vlad smirked to himself. He walked to a pay phone and dialed the number.

"What can I do for you?" a woman asked.

"I'd like to leave an anonymous tip." Vlad replied. "It concerns a teenager named Danny Fenton."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

That night, Danny was unable to sleep. The memories still haunted him. Eventually, he decided to fly into the ghost zone to clear his thoughts, and maybe take care of a few of his enemies. He transformed into Danny Phantom and sped into the ghost portal.

It looked the same as usual, except quieter. Several ghosts screamed at him, but once they saw who it was, they did nothing else and fled in fright. For over an hour, Danny flew around with no particular goal in mind. Suddenly, something barreled into him. Danny raised a hand to attack, but it was only Wulf. "**I'm glad to see you again, friend." **Wulf exclaimed happily. (I don't know Esperanto, and am too lazy to translate it)

"What's going on here?" Danny asked. "Are you running from…" Several of Walker's guards cut him off, firing energy at the two of them. Danny conjured a shield, defending himself and Wulf. The latter went into action, knocking two of the guards unconscious.

Danny, on the other hand, was not so merciful. He charged a blast and vaporized one of the guards. The others were afraid, but wishing to avenge their comrade. This was all the better, in his opinion. He easily dodged their clumsy attacks and tore them to pieces with his fists. Wulf attacked any that attempted to sneak up on him.

After three were destroyed, the others fled. Danny was about to go after them, but Wulf grabbed his arm. **"They are beaten. No need to kill them." **He declared.

"Walker has terrorized this place long enough." Danny responded. "It's time to put an end to it. Besides, I want some revenge for what he did." Wulf eventually decided to come with him. After all, Walker had tormented him and many other ghosts for decades. They flew to Walker's prison, where he had no clues about their intentions.

In a matter of seconds, guards spotted the duo. Over a dozen flew towards them, while others fled, presumably to get Walker. Danny eluded them with ease, firing powerful blasts that destroyed any guards they hit. Wulf fought with three others, and they appeared evenly matched. That is, until Danny intervened, throwing them aside. They fled, too terrified to do anything else. Danny let them go; he had bigger fish to fry.

"I wondered when you'd come here, punk." Walker laughed. "I've been waiting for you."

"You know why I'm here; it's time to end this once and for all." Danny snarled, charging up energy in his hands. Wulf growled, claws extending out of his paws. "You've always underestimated me, Walker, but now I'm not the goody two-shoes you once knew."

"That makes no difference." Walker smirked. "You're going to spend eternity in my prison." Danny smirked, and responded with ectoplasmic lightning. Walked screamed in agony, giving Danny the opening he needed to pummel him.

Wulf, meanwhile, was holding off the guards. They were numerous and some were skilled, but he was able to hold his own. As time went on, though, his fatigue become obvious, which his enemies took advantage. Still, he was like a cockroach that simply would not die.

Danny buried his feet into Walker's gut, sending him back at least 100 yards. Furious, he sped towards him, not wanting to give him a chance to recover. Walker struggled in his grip, but Danny was simply too strong. "You might want to look behind you." Walker declared. "My guards are about to destroy your little pet." Danny didn't believe him at first, but heard Wulf's screams. Punching Walker one last time, he flew to his aid.

Wulf was badly injured and could barely. The guards had taken their fair share of scrapes as well, but there were over a dozen of them. Once Danny made sure they were flying towards him, he unleashed his ghostly wail. It shredded the ghost guards within a matter of seconds, not a single one surviving through the onslaught.

Fortunately for him, Walker was out of the way. For the first time, he began to show fear. He tried to retreat, but Danny was faster than he. "You're not getting away, Walker." Danny smirked. "This is over for you."

"Maybe so, but I have one final gift." Walker replied, and threw an orb into Danny's chest. He gripped at it, trying to reduce the pain. He tried to make his escape, but Danny fried him, shredding his essence.

"I guess we don't have to worry about him anymore." Danny sighed. "If Bullet tries to do anything, he'll suffer the same fate." Wulf agreed, but was worried about this change in his friend. Danny was never this violent before. "I almost regret it, but then I remember what he's done to me in the past.

**"Thank you, friend." **Wulf told him. Danny flew back to Fentonworks, not noticing that his appearance was changing.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Finally, I will have a true family." Vlad exclaimed to himself. "The seeds have been planted, and now it's time for them to sprout."

"I still think you're playing with fire." Fright Knight warned. "If this scheme of yours fails, you will lose everything. That is not a possibility; it is a guarantee."

"I've become quite good at covering up my tracks over the years." Vlad dismissed his concerns. He had heard them over a dozen times. Suddenly, Technus flew in, looking overjoyed.

"I, technus, have wonderful news!" He exclaimed. "Walker has been destroyed! We are free of his oppression."

Vlad, however, did not think it so good. It was doubtless Daniel's doing, which meant that he was growing in power faster than he anticipated. However, there was no turning back now. He had to go forward with his plan. Those idiots would get his tip soon: he would make certain of it. The last plan failed, but this wouldn't.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Next day:

"Well, the evidence is piling against him." Smith stated. "We don't have solid proof, but it points in Daniel's direction."

"We're getting a search warrant for the premises." Robbins informed him. "It won't be too long until we can check the premises. Have any witnesses been able to identify him without any doubt?"

"Yes; we've found two so far." Smith replied. "They give the same I.D.: Blue eyes, black hair, and around 5'8. Not to mention the threat he made against her earlier today."

"So why are investigators still at the school? I would have thought we interviewed everyone by now."

"They're talking about something else. I don't know what; the chief wouldn't tell me. I think it has to do with an anonymous tip referring to Mr. Fenton."

Robbins' cell phone rang, and the chief was on the other line. He nodded in assent, and when he turned it off, he told his partner: "We've been ordered to go to Fentonworks."

"Have they got something from the scene?"

"I'll explain on the way."

Danny sat down on the couch, clutching his chest. Jazz sat down beside him, her arm around his shoulder. He wanted to shrug it away, but he had a sentimental weakness for his sister, so he was unable to carry out his earlier plans for revenge. "What happened to you, Danny?" she asked kindly, looking at him with concern.

"Walker hit me with something; some red sphere." Danny replied. He decided to leave out that he destroyed him. Jazz probably wouldn't be too pleased. He could barely even admit it to himself, but he was grateful for his friends. It was the only way he survived in prison. He nearly screamed when another jolt of pain went through his body. "Why didn't you report it, Jazz? You know the law better than I do." It was something he wondered for some time.

"Don't you remember?" Jazz sighed. "I reported him to the school, who suspended him for a week. The police wouldn't do anything but scold him. Once he returned, the beating got even worse." Danny scowled at the memory, and his eyes flashed red. "Calm down, Danny. Don't lose control."

"You're right, Jazz. It's just so difficult, you know. I sometimes even yell at my friends. I don't mean to, but I'm just so angry. I can barely bring myself to care about anyone; probably a defense mechanism to survive in prison."

"You're probably right. Give it time, Danny; you'll eventually be back to your old annoying self."

"Gee, way to make me feel better."

Jazz breathed a huge sigh of relief when she heard it. It meant he was becoming a little more like the old Danny. She couldn't even guess what happened to him, and part of her didn't even want to know.

There was a knock on the door. Reluctantly, Danny answered it, having a bad feeling. His feelings were confirmed when he saw his two least favorite people.

Yeah, sounds ominous, doesn't it? I tried to get this thing through earlier, but I've been suffering from strep throat. However, I'm starting to get better.

Just so you know, I'm thinking about writing an intermediate story which covers Danny's two years in prison, and how he survived in such a hostile environment. Let me know what you think of the idea. I can't promise that it'll become a story, but it's an idea I'm considering.


	6. Vlad's success

I'm glad I actually have some free time to work on this at the college, since the internet on my computer is out. The company went out of business. I doubt you care about my mundane life, though, so let's get on with the story.

XXXXXXXXXX

Vlad Plasmius was floating above the Fenton house, smirking about the upcoming show. He knew there would be legal mistakes, but it wasn't necessary to get him convicted; only hated. The Fright Knight told him he was playing with fire, but he underestimated him.

Thankfully, he remembered to give a few pieces of information to the right people. Now all he had to do was watch them fall apart.

XXXXXX

"What do you idiots want now?" Danny growled, an inch away from attacking them. Jazz walked toward them as well and glared.

"Hey, what's going on?" Maddie asked, walking into the room with Jack. They stopped at the sight of the detectives, knowing this was bad.

"Jack Fenton, you are under arrest for abuse." Robbins declared, giving Maddie the warrant. He put the handcuffs around him, no small feat when you consider his size. "You have the right to remain silent. If you give up that right, anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you."

"How could you possibly think Jack would lay a hand on Danny?" Maddie demanded. "Haven't you hurt this family enough/"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Fenton, but we have a job to do." Smith replied, stepping between them. "CPS has been investigating this, and our superior wants him arrested." _I'm not entirely convinced, but orders are orders. Why are we always sent back to this family?_

"This is the last straw." Jack declared. "We've going to sue your butts when I get out, I promise you. You're trying to destroy this family, aren't you, you sons of…" The rest of his tirade was cut off by being shoved into the police car.

"Okay, this stinks of Vlad." Danny muttered. "Now I really am going to kill him."

"Danny, no." Jazz whispered. "You'll become no better than he is."

"Isn't that a little hypocritical, Jazz?" Danny smirked, causing her eyes to glisten with tears. He knew he should feel bad, but the strange thing was: he didn't. _She deserves it, right? I was in prison because of her cowardice. Wait, I thought I forgave her. Why am I thinking this now?_

At that moment, Robbins could have sworn the boy's hands and eyes glowed red, but it could have been his imagination. _But it looked so real. How is that possible?_ Once they got to the station, the detectives decided to leave the interrogation to others, since emotions were high for them to do impartially.

"Let's see if that DNA test is back." Robbins suggested. "This is supposed to get results in a few days. I hope this works."

"We may as well." Smith replied. "We've found two witnesses, both of them identifying Mr. Fenton in a photo. It shouldn't take long to get a warrant."

They walked into the M.E.'s office, where she began to explain the situation to them. "I don't think Fenton's your guy. He's around 5'9, 5'10, you said? Based on the angle of the knife wound, I'd say the person's taller, about 6'3." (A.N: Should have mentioned this earlier, but she was killed by a knife. Sorry; I was preoccupied with Danny's story and Vlad's plans.

"All right, have the DNA and fingerprints analysis come back?" Robbins asked, to which she pointed to a file on her right. He looked through it, and handed it to his partner. "Looks like it's not Fenton, thank god. Does she have any boyfriends anyone knows about?"

"Yeah, someone mentioned she had a boyfriend who lived about a mile away." Smith replied.

"Why didn't you tell me this earlier?"

"Sorry; I've been busy on other things. This case is starting to affect my mental capability. Before you go into your lecture about how unprofessional it was, I apologized."

"I can't hold it against you too much; it's not easy for me, either."

"Anyway, whoever killed her stuck around to place her body in a certain position." The M.E. added. "From the looks of it, he wanted to try and comfort her, since he covered most of her body with a blanket. Usually, I'd say it was an attempt to hide it, but since there were several places in that area where he could have done so, I doubt it. I'd look for somebody who had an obsessive fascination with her."

"Thanks for the help." Robbins told her, and they walked out. "I'm in need of a long vacation."

"You and me both." Smith replied. "I've already asked if I could take two weeks off. If I keep doing this, I'm going to snap."

"That reminds me; I have to ask permission myself." Robbins sighed. "I have to admit, I hate bureaucracy. At least I'm not dealing with internal affairs."

"Yeah, you're right on that one. Take care buddy."

XXXXXXXXXXXX

"Sigh, they aren't listening to me." Jack moaned to his family. "It's not surprising, though. Apparently they've been talking to Danny's peers and teachers, and saying that he's had unexplained bruises for years.'

"Yeah, courtesy of that prick Baxter." Danny sighed. "Besides, I'm on your side, even though I don't like you. I don't intend to let you suffer the same fate I have."

"Vlad, thank goodness you're here!" Maddie exclaimed, hugging him. He smirked and returned the gesture. Once she released him, he looked disappointed.

"When I heard about it, I came as soon as I could." Vlad told Jack, using his best sincere voice.

"You believe me, don't you?" Jack pleaded. "Please, Vlad, you have to believe me. I love Danny; I'd never hurt him."

"I want to believe you, old friend, but I just don't know." Vlad replied, giving him a sad look. "They even have a tape of Daniel accusing you, and they checked it; it's his voice. God, I hope you're innocent, but I just can't ignore the evidence; I just don't know what to tell you, Jack."

Vlad wasn't able to walk more than a few steps when Danny grabbed him and threw him against the wall. "I know this is your doing, Vlad." He snarled almost inhumanly. "When I get the chance, you are going to die, slowly and painfully, I promise you. I am going to rip out your intestines and hang you upside down on a tree."

"Until then, little badger, better control your temper." Vlad replied, reminding him that Maddie, Jack, and Jazz were watching. Reluctantly, he let him go, but not before firing a small red blast into his gut. Fortunately for him, the others were too worried about their situation to notice.

"I know Vlad's behind this." He told Jasmine. "All we have to do is figure out a way to prove it." The rage is him bubbled, telling him to kill Vlad, consequences be damned. He still had others to get revenge on.

"We'll get him out of this." Jazz promised. "Vlad won't win; you can be sure of that."

Maddie, meanwhile, was lost in thought. Most of her didn't believe for a second Jack could touch his son. However, the small voice pointing out that he always had a temper, and stress could lead you to terrible things, kept her from complete faith in him. She kept telling the voice to shut up, saying Jack Fenton was a good man and a loving father.

But there was a part of her that wondered.

Danny couldn't take it anymore and walked to the bathroom, transforming into Phantom once he knew the coast was clear. He was more muscular than before, though he knew he couldn't have changed that quickly. Now that he was in ghost form, he was even angrier and wanted to destroy everything. Jazz, Vlad, Casper High, his living tormentors, everything that moved.

He was hit in the back of the head. Danny turned around, wondering who was foolish enough to attack him now. It didn't even hurt anyway. He saw the Box Ghost and Lunch Lady ready for a fight. "I, the Box Ghost, have been waiting for this!" the blue nimrod exclaimed. "Finally, you shall fall to my power!"

"And I'll serve him a course of doom!" The Lunch Lady screamed. Danny had to force himself not to laugh. Seriously, what could these idiots do to him? Not that it mattered; he finally had something to take his anger out on.

The Box Ghost attacked first, firing boxes left and right. Danny sighed and went intangible. While the Lunch Lady was charging up her attack, he flew towards them and punched them both in the jaw. Box Ghost tried again, but Danny silenced him with a red ecto-blast. He moaned in pain, which, strangely, gave him a sense of satisfaction.

"You'll pay for hurting my husband!" Lunch Lady screamed. Danny winced; that mental image was truly disgusting. Unfortunately, it gave her time to form a meat monster over a dozen feet tall. She tried to backhand him, but he simply ducked and blasted the body to pieces.

The Box Ghost was badly burned, but his pride would not let him retreat. He fired a weak energy blast, one that Danny barely even felt. Smirking, he returned fire with another powerful blast. Lunch Lady tried to help, but he batted her aside, not considering her any kind of threat. "Listen to me carefully, Box Ghost." He snarled, which him the said ghost tremble. "I'm not in the mood to be screwed with. I'm here to take care of old enemies, and you don't want to be on that list. Just to show you I'm now bluffing…" He fired another red blast, even stronger than the first. Box Ghost tried to dodge, but didn't fully manage it. He screamed in pure agony, one of his hands burned off and one eye useless.

Lunch Lady tried to attack from behind, but Danny grabbed her by the neck and delivered a painful shock. He looked inside her, and though he didn't know how, knew she was pregnant. A tidbit of mercy filled him, and he stopped short of killing. "Don't ever let me see you again." Danny warned. They nodded fearfully and flew off in a panic.

Deciding to get back to his family, he flew back to the bathroom and changed back to Fenton. "That was an impressive show, Daniel." Vlad laughed. "You're more like me than I ever thought possible." Danny was about to throw a punch. "Ah, ah, you don't want to get yourself arrested again, do you? In case you've forgotten, we're in a police station.

"Watch your back, Vlad." Danny laughed. "You can't escape me forever."

"Danny, where have you been?" Maddie asked. "We've been looking all over for you. Jazz was worried sick, even though I told her you can take care of yourself."

"Yes, I get the point." Danny cut her off. "Let's just go home. I can't stand being around here any longer." _And maybe I can get my hands on Vlad. I'd be nice to finally end that fruit loop. _He walked off, not waiting for a response.

"Danny, we heard what happened!" declared Valerie, hugging him tightly. When he showed no signs of returning it, she let go.

"You know who's behind this, don't you?" Sam asked, though there was no need to.

"As a matter of fact, I do." Danny replied. "All I need to do is prove it."

"Dude, that guy is nuts!" exclaimed Tucker. "By the way, I heard they found the guy who actually murdered Paulina; you're in the clear."

"It's about time they got their heads out of their asses and used them." Danny sneered. "Now what do you want to do? I'm leaning towards proving Vlad is responsible for this."

"He's expecting you to try it, Danny." Sam warned. "He's probably got all kinds of security."

"Sam, what have all you guys got against Vlad?" Valerie demanded. "He's helped us out through everything."

"Valerie, there's a lot about Vlad you don't know." Tucker sighed. "This new PDA should be able to hack through his security system. Just come with us. We'll show you the truth."

"Fine, but I keep telling you he's innocent." Valerie stated.

"Quiet; he's coming." Sam whispered harshly.

"Guys, Vlad invited us to a night out." Maddie smiled. "He wants you all to come."

"Shouldn't you guys be with Mr. Fenton right now?" Sam wondered. "He needs your support."

"I'll have him out by tomorrow, never fear!" Vlad laughed. "You forget; I have the best lawyers money can buy."

"I don't know what we'd do without you, Vlad." Maddie replied.

"Probably be a lot happier." Danny muttered to himself. "I think I'll pass. I have more important things to do."

"Are you sure, Daniel?" Vlad asked. "I'd love to have you come with me." Danny's glare deepened. "Very well, you've made your choice." The others made similar replies, Valerie the only one being polite. "In that case, we'll see you in a few hours." Once they were out of earshot, Vlad whispered: "Fright Knight, Daniel and his friends are attempting a break-in. Stop him, but if they are seriously harmed, you will answer to me."

"Understood." He replied.

"Now Maddie, let's have a wonderful night on the town!" he declared excitedly.

XXXXXXX

"Nice job, Tucker." Sam applauded. "You got through the security."

"Well, that's only the first part." Tucker replied. "The next line of defense is going to be tougher."

"Come on; we have to keep moving." Danny insisted. "We don't have a lot of time."

"You're right about that, ghost boy." Fright Knight declared, drawing his sword.

"What do you mean, ghost boy?" Valerie demanded, changing into her ghost hunting suit.

"This is what he means, Valerie." Danny laughed. "It's time you learned the truth." He transformed into Danny Phantom, charging into Fright Knight. She stared in shock, giving Fright Knight time to knock her off her jet sled. Danny blasted him, sending him to the ground. Unlike the others, though, he was not badly harmed.

Over two dozen of Vlad's henchmen showed up, all of whom ready to fight. "Okay, how are we going to get out of this?" Tucker worried.

"I'll hold them off." Danny stated, dodging attacks and launching ones of his own. "You head towards his lab. Sam and Tucker will know where it is." They ran, hoping Danny would make it through.

They ran toward the lab, Tucker hacking through the computer. Meanwhile, Valerie was looking around the area. There were several test tubes, all of them empty, but from the notes, she gathered that he was attempting some sort of cloning process. A few feet to the right, she saw a picture of Jack, Maddie, and Vlad, with the first's head ripped off.

"Okay, maybe they had a point." Valerie told herself. "He may like Mrs. Fenton, but it doesn't mean he's framing his old friend." _Still, it gives him a motive to do so._

"Come look at this, Valerie!" Tucker exclaimed. Valerie walked towards the computer and saw several photos of Maddie. Sam searched through Vlad's papers, but didn't find anything. Apparently he figured they would search his place, and did not leave anything incriminating.

"Still, this stuff is definitely creepy." Valerie stated, shocked at the realization. "I'm definitely going to keep an eye out for Mr. Masters in the future. You think he was responsible for sending Danny to prison?"

"It wouldn't surprise me one bit." Tucker muttered. "Wait, I found something. A deleted file, but maybe I can pull it off of the hard drive. Good thing this new PDA can do that; ah, the wonders of technology!"

"Just do it!" Valerie snapped, forcing him back onto the task at hand. It took him a good half hour, but he finally managed to load it onto his PDA. Apparently it was made just after Danny was convicted, and was sort of an apology letter. "He was intending to have the public hate Danny? Why?"

"Vlad's obsessed with having him as a son." Tucker explained. "He was trying to make it so there would be only one place to go: here. I guess I was wrong; he didn't actually intend to get him convicted."

He tried to download more files, but the defenses kicked in, barring them from the computer.

"Tucker, take a look at this!" Sam exclaimed. "It's some kind of voice modification device."

"Wow, the modifier 4000!" Tucker declared in awe. "I wish I could have one of these things." He looked on the side of it, and even saw several voices the machine could change to: Danny, himself, Jack, and pretty much everyone else they knew. "We didn't get any definite proof, but this should put a monkey wrench in his plans."

"Let's get out of here." Valerie suggested. "Danny needs our help!"

"Wait, you've actually decided to accept him?" Sam mocked. "After trying over 100 times to kill her?"

"Not necessarily, but I won't leave him out there!" Valerie sighed. "I'll make my decision later."

They rushed out to help, only to see that Danny had handled everything himself. Vlad's ghost experiments were destroyed, and the Fright Knight had retreated. He had looked for others, but they were nowhere to be found.

"So did you find anything/" Danny demanded.

"Nothing that could get him arrested, but enough to show he set this thing up." Sam replied happily. "Let's see him try to get Mrs. Fenton to like him after we show this to her!"

XXXXXX

"I have to admit, Vlad, that was wonderful." Maddie exclaimed happily. "I haven't had so much fun in years."

"Nothing but the best for a dear friend." Vlad replied. "I noticed Jack hasn't paid much attention to you, and decided to try and cheer you up."

"Its fine, but I wish he'd pay more attention to me." Maddie sighed. "Still, I love the big guy, and wouldn't change him a bit."

"But he should pay attention to you, Maddie. You deserve someone who treats you well. Hasn't he forgotten most of your wedding anniversaries? He's too wrapped up in ghost hunting."

"Yes. I spent a lot of time on it, but it was like Jack's life. He didn't seem to pay attention to anything else."

"This is before Daniel was arrested, right?"

"Yes. Afterwards, we did everything we could to get him free. Thank you for that, Vlad."

"You don't have to thank me." For once, Vlad was truthful. Even he didn't want to see Daniel suffer in there.

"But still. You've done a lot for this family." She hated to admit it, but in the past two years, she developed a small attraction to Vlad when they were working on Danny's case together.

"Did Jack give you enough support?"

"I'd like to say yes, but he was too busy working on our inventions. I can understand a need to distract himself, but I need some comfort too."

"I can understand that. It's been hard on me as well."

"I could have helped you."

"I've been alone for 22 years; I learned how to handle it. Thanks for the offer, though."

Without warning, Vlad decided to become more daring and give Maddie a light kiss on the lips. She said nothing for several seconds, and was about to apologize, but she pulled him into a deeper kiss. They eventually broke apart, Vlad happier than he'd been in many years.

"I'm sorry; I shouldn't have done that." Maddie stated. "God, what am I doing? How am I going to face Jack?"

"Maddie, I completely understand." Vlad replied. "You've been under a lot of stress, Jack hasn't been there for you, and you need comfort. No one needs to know about this. I need to go home. Can you get home by yourself?"

"I can take a cab." Maddie told him. "Thanks for forgiving me, Vlad."

"Anytime you need to talk, don't hesitate to call me. Don't worry; I'll get Jack out of this." Maddie watched Vlad drive him, her thoughts in a jumble. Why was she attracted to him? She loved Jack, didn't she? However, Vlad had always been her best friend, despite a rift formerly between them. She opted to walk home, hoping to clear her thoughts.

Meanwhile, in a deep part of the ghost zone, Clockwork was watching them. "I warned you, Vlad, and you didn't listen to me," He sighed, changing into his adult form. "There's nothing I can do now to stop what's about to happen. I only hope he makes the right choice."

All right, I finished this in two hours! Okay, I think there will be two or three more chapters after this. As you can see, Vlad's very close to his goal. However, Danny and co. aren't the only ones trying to stop here. You'll find out who in the next chapter, as well as who killed Paulina.


	7. Final straw

May as well write this while I have the chance. I'm glad I'm nearly finished with this thing. It may even be a record for updating, since I know I'm pretty slow at it.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, it was an accident." Travis Griffin wailed. He was 18 years old, 6 feet, 3 inches tall, had brown hair and blue eyes; unknown to most others, he was also Paulina's boyfriend.

"Just tell us what happened, Mr. Grffin." Smith sighed. Once they found some evidence pointing his way, he confessed almost immediately.

"I heard from one of my friends that she was cheating on me." Travis replied, having calmed down slightly. "I wanted to talk to her, make sure it was just a rumor. She laughed, saying she never cared about me. I walked towards her, and she pulled out a knife."

"Then what happened?" Robbins asked.

"I asked her to calm down, and drop the knife, but she wouldn't." Travis stated. "She told me she would tell her parents about me, and send me to jail, all because I wasn't able to do everything she wanted. I know the law; it'd be considered unlawful intercourse, and Paulina's a good actress; I went to a couple of her plays." Despite himself, a small smile crossed his face.

"Okay, just tell us the rest of the story." Robbins encouraged.

"I couldn't believe she would do that to me, but I guess she was always selfish; I just didn't see it. She took a step forward, and I panicked. I've always had a fear of knives. I grabbed her arm; she struggled. She wouldn't let go of it. I tried to force it out of her hand, and pushed too hard. The knife went into her chest and she… collapsed." At that, Travis started crying again, not able to say any more.

"Why did you cover her up if it was an accident?" Smith asked.

After a minute, he calmed down a little. 'I…I couldn't bear to look at her. I covered her up… so I wouldn't see the wound… so I wouldn't see the blood."

"Why didn't you come here earlier?" Robbins wondered.

"I'm a coward; I always have been, but… I couldn't live with myself any more. I never meant… for any of this to happen. I swear, it was an accident!"

"Travis Griffin, you are under arrest for the murder of Paulina Martinez." Robbins informed him. "You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have to right to an attorney. If you cannot afford one, one will be provided for you. Do you understand these rights?" They handcuffed him, and took him to a holding cell.

"Well, it sounds like a solid case to me," Smith told his partner after they took him to the cell.

"Now it just depends on whether the D.A. charges him for murder or manslaughter." Robbins replied. "We never heard from any witnesses that Ms. Martinez had a knife."

"But she did struggle, and he said he pushed too hard." Smith pointed. "We'll have to wait and see. I actually feel kind of sorry for the kid. Anyway, I have to go."

"All right, I'll tell the D.A. If it's up to me, I'll charge him with murder. It doesn't fit that he just came to talk. We also didn't find Ms. Martinez fingerprints on the murder weapon."

"What the hell is he doing there?" Danny demanded, referring to Vlad.

"He's giving us some support." Maddie replied, Vlad smirking at the teenagers. "He'll get Jack out, don't worry." She still had a part of her that said Jack was guilty, which she ignored as best she could.

"Assuming he's innocent, of course." Vlad pointed out. "Still, I'm not going to believe that about my old friend so easily."

"He never touched me, as you well know, Vlad." Danny snapped. "You're not going to get away with this."

"We'll stop you as we always have." Sam added.

"Wait, get away with what?" Maddie asked. "Sweetie, what are you talking about?"

"Daniel, I'm glad to hear that." Vlad smirked. "That means a great deal to me. Perhaps ghosts are trying to frame your father.'

"I never thought of that!" Maddie exclaimed, taking out a weapon under the couch. "Those ghosts are going to pay for this!" She ran towards the Fenton assault vehicle.

"Looks like it's just you and me, Vlad." Danny smirked. "I think you know what that means."

"I wouldn't, Daniel." Vlad replied. "I'm still more powerful than you."

"You can't beat us together." Tucker warned.

"What do you mean, more powerful?" Valerie asked. "Your money won't help you this time."

"He's not referring to money, Valerie." Danny told her. "It's time you learned the truth. Vlad here has ghost powers as I do, except he's been using them to split my parents apart. If you have any doubt, just use your ghost scanner."

Valerie did so, and found that it was only pointing to Danny. "Then why is it pointing to you and only you? Mr. Masters isn't registering on it."

"You see, Daniel, you're mistaken." Vlad laughed, putting on the show for Valerie.

Danny looked at him carefully, wondering how he could hide from it. He transformed into Danny Phantom and grabbed him by the neck. "I know you're bullshitting us, Plasmius." He growled, sounding almost inhuman.

"Danny, calm down." Valerie warned, trying to diffuse the situation. "I know he's a jerk, but he can't defend himself against you. Not to mention you just revealed your secret."

Danny grabbed Vlad's hand and saw a ring. He ripped it off, sorely tempted to take the finger with it. The scanner started beeping, pointing towards Vlad.

"Well, Vlad, we've got you now." Tucker smirked. "You can't win now, so you may as well give up."

"You still don't understand, do you, children?" Vlad laughed, though watching Danny warily. "My plans are too complex for your pitiful minds to comprehend."

"You don't dare go ghost and have my mom learn your secret, so you're pretty much defenseless." Danny laughed, charging up a blast.

"You'd think that, wouldn't you?" Vlad replied. "Maddie, help! Danny Phantom is trying to kill me!" In a matter of seconds, Maddie showed up, armed almost to the teeth with ghost weapons.

"Let him go now!" Maddie demanded, firing her weapons. Danny dropped him and conjured a shield, not wanting to harm his own mother.

"Don't you understand what Vlad's doing?" Danny asked, ignoring the voice telling him to tear her apart. He's tearing your family apart!" She refused to listen, and he was forced to retreat.

"We'll still get you, Vlad." Sam glared. "You haven't won just yet."

"I already have, Samantha." Vlad replied. "Soon I'll get the family I deserve."

"Not if we have anything to say about it." Valerie yelled, charging into her ghost hunter suit. Sensing a challenge, Vlad transformed into his ghost self, beckoning them forward. Before either combatant could do anything, either, Danny reappeared, Maddie close behind him.

"Uh-oh, this can't be good." Vlad gulped. Not wanting to fight his potential lover, he disappeared, Danny following.

"That takes care of them, but they'll be back." Maddie sighed. "Hey, where's Danny and Vlad?"

"Can't you just leave me alone, Vlad?" Danny demanded, punching him in the jaw. "You think you're so clever, framing my dad for child abuse. I could just say you're the one that was doing this to me."

"Yes, that's true." Vlad conceded, blocking an ecto-blast. "However, how are you going to prove it? I spent most of my time in my castle, and you can't very well tell them you're Danny Phantom, can you?"

"One way or another, you will pay!" Danny promised, duplicating into 4. All of them fired powerful streams of energy, which Vlad barely managed to block. "You've meddled in my life for far too long, and for what? Someone who will never love you?"

"We'll see, Daniel, we'll see." Then Vlad's voice had a sadder tone to it. "Can't you see I'm doing this for you, Daniel? I've always wanted a child of my own to raise. Whether you believe it or not, I do care for you. Otherwise, I would have killed you long ago."

"Yeah, I feel so special. You'd probably just beat me whenever I didn't do exactly what you said."

"Don't ever compare me to my father!" Vlad fired an ecto-blast into Danny's chest, more powerful than he intended to.

"What are you talking about, Plasmius, not that I really care/"

"That's none of your concern." Danny blasted him in the eyes, blinding him for a couple of seconds. It was all he needed to have his duplicates surround him. They fired at the same time, sending Vlad into a cement wall. He got up, badly bruised, but still capable of fighting.

Before Danny could do anything else, Fright Knight destroyed one of his duplicates and threw aside the others. He decided to get rid of them rather than waste energy. "Figures, Vlad." Danny laughed. "You were always a coward."

"I don't want it to end this way." Vlad pleaded. "Just join me, and we can be a family. It's all I've ever wanted."

"Besides, ghost boy, we have you outmatched." Fright Knight added. "You can't beat both of us."

"I'll never join you, Vlad." Danny snarled. "You said not to compare you to your father, which I gather means he beat you when you were a child. Here you are doing the exact same thing. Life father, like son, apparently."

"I am nothing like him, Daniel." Vlad replied, trying to keep his temper under control. "I only fight you because you do the same to me. I am not the monster you think I am."

"Yes, you are, Vlad." Danny laughed out loud. "You may not see it, but you are. Also, you made one other mistake: underestimating me." Danny fired a ghostly wail, knocking them back, helpless under the sonic wave. After around 10 seconds, Danny relented, waiting for a counterattack, but it never came. "Pathetic coward; he can't escape me forever."

"Thank you, Vlad, thank you!" Maddie exclaimed, kissing him. She could hardly believe it, but she kind of liked him. Over the past two years, her attraction to Jack had slowly faded, though she could barely admit it even to herself. "Oh, sorry."

"No problem, Maddie." Vlad replied. "I got my head straight and realized that Jack could never actually hurt his son. I was just a little overprotective. I consider him like my own son, after all!" He saw Valerie and Jazz glaring death at him, but he wondered where the other two where. Vlad made a mental note to have Fright Knight watch him; Technus would give himself away in seconds.

"I'm glad to be out of there, V-man." Jack exclaimed. "Still, I'm not out of the woods yet. There's still going to be a trial."

"It won't get past the grand jury." Vlad promised. He wanted to kill him, but he wanted Jack to suffer more. And when he was through, he would suffer greatly. "Daniel will say you've never touched, as will I. I wasn't thinking when I accused you, Jack. Forgive me?"

"It hurt, but I can understand it." Jack replied. "We've grown apart over the years, I know. Sometimes I even think you hate me, but we've stuck together, and we always will." Vlad nodded sincerely, on the outside.

_Why am I actually touched at that?_ Vlad thought to himself. He was disgusted, trying to shake it out of his mind. _I hate the fat idiot… right?_

"So he won't be going to jail?" Jazz asked cautiously. "I don't want any… unpleasant surprises."

"Never fear, Jasmine, he won't." Vlad smirked. "I have many connections, and dearly hope this will go better than it did for Daniel. It's sad how so many people base their opinions on emotion than actual fact."

"Vlad, are you staying for dinner?" Maddie asked. "It's been a long time since we've been able to relax together."

"Great idea, Maddie!" Jack exclaimed. "Nothing like three old friends hanging out together!"

"Well, I'm just going to go." Valerie sighed, trying to get out of there. She had to warn Danny.

"No, I insist you stay with us, Valerie." Vlad replied, knowing full well what she was going to do. "I know it's sort of boring to listen to three old people talk about the old days, but you're one of Daniel's friends. Surely you want to see him? _And maybe something more. Both she and Samantha still have feelings for the boy. Daniel's becoming like me, but either one has the potential as well._

Vlad decided to cook, since neither one of them was very good at doing so. Valerie tried to be civil, but Jazz spent the whole time glaring at Vlad. "Okay, it's almost done." He told them. "And Jack, I put a big pan of fudge in there, just for you. Valerie, do you like lasagna, by any chance?"

"It's all right." She replied dismissively.

"Hey, V-man, you remember the first day of our junior year?" Jack asked. "It was when you and Maddie were practicing karate, and she hit you in the stomach? I've never heard you scream that loud."

"Yes, Jack, I know." He snapped. It brought back memories that he had been trying to bury for the past 20 years. "I was always a coward then, unable to stand up for myself."

"Don't say that, Vlad." Maddie interrupted. "Remember when we went to our graduation party? One of the guys- don't remember his name- started making remarks? You grabbed him by the neck, and shouted at the top of your lungs."

"He just about wet himself!" Jack laughed, not seeing the disgusted looks of Jazz and Valerie. He was being more immature than usual, but they hadn't had fun for a very long time. "I was quite proud of you."

"I suppose you have a point." Vlad conceded. "Speaking of which, I remember your first football game, Jack. Freshman year, you were so nervous, you almost collapsed. Maddie and I gave you confidence, but you accidentally handed the ball to the other team. Boy, I never saw the coach's face get so red."

Jack and Maddie started laughing along with him. "I know, Vladdie." Jack chuckled. "He couldn't throw me off, though; I was the strongest junior varsity player. Besides, I got us to the championship game by scoring the winning touchdown! Sure, I broke my ankle, but it was worth it. My parents were so proud." He didn't miss the wince that was across Vlad's face.

"You didn't think so at the time." Maddie pointed. "You threatened to rip the opponent's limbs off and beat him to death with them."

"You were really that morbid?" Jazz asked.

"You think that's bad, you should see him when Vlad was beaten up by the school bullies." Maddie replied. "He's kind of nuts when his friends are hurt."

"I even remember my revenge." Vlad smirked. He had rigged up their lockers with booby traps, giving them a face full of egg and vomit. Throwing them up was unpleasant, but they didn't bother him again. "I feel sorry for whoever had to smell them."

"Don't remind us of that!" Maddie laughed. She looked at Jazz and Valerie. "You girls can go if you want. And Vlad, try not to burn our dinner."

"I can cook, Maddie, as you well know." Vlad replied. He was taking the lasagna and fudge out when they heard a knock on the door. They saw an angry Danny with a police officer behind him, looking stern.

"Let me get this straight: you want us to help you nail Vlad?" Sam asked.

"That's right." Smith told her and Tucker. "I'm one of several people that have been building a case against him. It's still shaky, but with your help, we may be able to pull it off."

"I'm down with that." Tucker told him. "We can wear a wire if we need to. I've known he's no good since I met him."

"On the appeals court, we've identified two judges that were given bribes two months before Mr. Fenton's case." Smith informed. He knew he shouldn't be telling them this, but Masters was going down, one way or another.

"He bribed them to keep Danny in prison?" Sam yelled furiously; Smith shushed her. Vlad was so going to pay for this.

"No; they voted to release him." Smith replied. "I think he's innocent, but it's still against the law. Also, he's being accused of blackmail, and money laundering, though that probably won't go anywhere. The feds have been trying for years."

"Why not just go to the media?" Tucker asked. "They love to twist things around. Vlad's the one who hurt Danny, just so you know."

"That's one more thing we can get him on." Smith stated. "Since Danny hates him, it won't be too hard to get him to testify."

"We're behind you all the way." Sam nodded.

"Just give a few hints to the right people." Tucker suggested. "That's all you needed to have abuse support groups attack him. Along with Danny talking, it'll convince everyone he's a monster."

"I like your way of thinking, Tucker." Smith smiled. "This is usually against my ethics, but for Masters, I'll make an exception."

They heard noises to the right. Sam and Tucker headed over to investigate, as did Smith. They saw Danny looking furiously over three fallen classmates, all of them unconscious. "You were always a wimp, Kwan." He muttered to himself. "You can't beat me even with two buddies and taking me by surprise. This is only the beginning." An officer stepped forward, grabbing him by the arm and putting him into his cruiser.

"I suggest you get him therapy." Smith told his friends. "Life is prison can have a traumatic experience, especially for children. I shudder to think about it."

"We'll meet later." Sam promised. "Vlad loves bragging to us about his plans, thinking there's nothing we can do to stop him. He's going down."

"Yeah, I can use my PDA to gather evidence." Tucker smiled.

Danny glared, even though there was no one in his room. He was tired of people, of everyone at that damn school. "Can't they leave me alone?" Danny whispered harshly. "Now that Skulker and Walker are destroyed, you'd think my life would be a little easier, but no. Not only do I have to deal with my idiot schoolmates, I have Vlad meddling in my life again. My mother's interested in him; I can see that. I wonder what kind of spell he's put her on."

He got up off the bed and started pacing. Danny was quite accustomed to this, having done it frequently in prison. There was a knock on his door, and Maddie came in. "Sweetie, are you okay?" Maddie asked. "I heard an angry voice."

"Yeah, I'm great." Danny replied sarcastically. "My classmates give me hell, and Vlad decided to fuck up my life once again!"

"He's only trying to help, Danny." She sighed. "I don't understand why you hate him. Yes, I was wary of him for a while, but he's been of so much help to us. He got you out of there."

"It was his fault in the first place. You know, I have a little tidbit of information you might find interesting."

"What's that?"

"I'm sure you know the Wisconsin ghost. Well, he and Vlad Masters are one and the same."

Maddie started laughing at that remark. "Danny, it's impossible for humans to have ghost powers."

"Oh, really? I'll prove you wrong." Just like that, he transformed into Danny Phantom. He smirked, looking at his mother, who stepped back in shock.

"That's why Danny's been acting different; you're not him, are you?!"

"I was, but I grew out of it. The Danny you know was killed years ago when he was sent to that hellhole."

"This isn't you, Danny. Okay, you have ghost powers, but you're not evil. Your true self is there somewhere."

"Don't make me laugh, mother. I've put up with people's cruelty for too fucking long. I can forgive you and Dad for attacking, since you didn't know it was your son. As for Vlad, well… I've got a little surprise for him. This time, he won't escape."

"You're not Danny! My son would never even consider murder an option!"

"You keep telling yourself that, mother. I've already eliminated some of my ghost enemies, but Vlad's going to suffer much more. Oh, you didn't know? He's been after you for decades. This was another one of his plans to get you to leave Dad."

"No, this can't be. Why would he hurt us like this?"

"The truth hurts, doesn't it? Now to take care of him." He stepped forward, only to be blasted back. Maddie pointed an ecto-gun at him, trembling.

"Don't make me do it, Danny. You don't have to go down this road."

"How do you intend to stop me? You and Dad are no threat to me anymore. Without Vlad, things can go back to normal. We'll be free of his schemes and plots." Jack, Jasmine, and Valerie all showed up, each carrying an ecto-weapon.

"Get away from my wife, ghost!" Jack demanded.

"I didn't know you could be so cruel to your own son." Danny replied, laughing.

"Danny, what are you doing?" Valerie asked. "Yes, Mr. Fenton, it really is Danny. He's been Phantom this whole time." He looked towards Maddie, who confirmed it with a nod.

"Danny, stop this now." Jazz ordered, trembling even more than her mom. "We can get you help. Just don't follow a path you can't turn back from."

"I'm not here to hurt you guys." Danny growled. "I just need to take care of Vlad, and then we can be happy again. He's half ghost as well, Dad, and responsible for this whole mess. He's hated you since the accident that gave him his powers, and blames you for his loneliness."

"That isn't possible!" Jack exclaimed. "Vlad is my best friend."

"Stand down, Danny, or we'll make you." Valerie threatened, but couldn't put any malice in it.

"I thought friends were supposed to be on your side, not stab you in the back." Danny replied, his voice rising.

"This isn't our friend." Jazz told him. "You aren't Danny anymore. Please, you've got to stop this. Yes, Vlad is evil, but killing him would make you no better."

"Let's just be reasonable here, sweetie." Maddie asked cautiously, putting her gun down an inch or two.

"Yeah, we'll show you that you're mistaken!" Jack added. "Besides, you're a good kid, Danny. I'd hate to see you turn your back on it."

"This coming from four people with weapons pointed at me." Danny laughed. Then his voice became softer, sadder. "You'd actually attack me, the person you supposedly love? Fine! If you don't want me in your lives, then I'll end yours. I'm sick of being betrayed!"

"We're not saying anything like that." Valerie argued, lowering her gun. "We're trying to help you. You're my friend, Danny. I want to see you happy, not suffer through this. We can get through it together."

"Liar!" Danny yelled. Vlad finally showed up, also carrying a gun. "You'll pay for turning my family against me, Plasmius." He charged red orbs in his hands, the others looking at him fearfully.

Sorry, I just had to end it there. I know he's sounding a bit crazy, but he's gotten rather paranoid, as you can probably tell. He was holding on by a thread, and wrongly interpreted their intervention as a betrayal. Now it's finally time for the real action of the plot. Will they be able to save him? Or will Danny fall completely to the dark?

It goes without saying to read and review. I'm not putting up the next one until I get a certain amount. Anonymous reviews are perfectly fine.


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